The Trouble Love Causes
by ShadowThestral
Summary: (complete)After Hermione and Ron betray his trust, Harry must find someone else all while dealing with a dark family secret that he has discovered. A dark Harry, Animaguses a plenty, and a need for blood. No pairings as the focus is elsewhere right now.
1. The Trouble with Discoveries

A/N: Just to let you know, this is the first fanfiction I've ever written that I see myself finishing, so I thought I'd share it with you. I know it starts cliche, but I promise, it will get better and more original. Just ahve patience! Enjoy!  
  
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"I don't care what you say, Moody!" exclaimed Arthur Weasley. While his row with Mad Eye had woken up Sirius' late mother in 12 Grimmald Place, no one cared anymore.  
  
"Blood! I know Harry's been writing to us, but we musn't be fooled! Why would his letter saying 'Everything's fine' have blood in it? There's something suspicious going on at that Muggle residence!" said Moody, all the while watching four Extendable Ears with his magical eye.  
  
"For this time, Arthur, I agree with Moody," said a quiet voice descending the stairs. Both looked at the person who was sharing his opinion: Remus Lupin.  
  
"But Remus, we can't-" started Arthur.  
  
"We can," said Lupin. "We can go and check on Harry. It's been four weeks, and as much as I hate to say it, something isn't right. His handwriting has been getting worse and worse over the course of his letters. We told him to write us every couple of days saying how things are going, but-..." he sighed," I believe something's happened to him. We can simply tell his relatives that we had orders from higher up to check on Harry. They won't check into it."  
  
Moody nodded the whole time, eye still watching the Ears, which were quickly being pulled up to their owners. "You're absolutely right, Lupin. I noticed the handwriting, too."   
  
He said the next bit loudly.   
  
"I believe we will send a team, just to be cautious. We could be attacked on the-"  
  
"WE'RE COMING!"  
  
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, along with Fred and George, had come running down the stairs, waking all the pictures on the way.  
  
Remus smiled. He now knew why Moody had said that loudly, as he had too noticed the Extendables. Ron and Hermione had both been wanting to see Harry, but Harry kept writing back that he would see them later. They knew something was wrong. When had Harry ever turned down an invitation to see his friends over the summer holidays?  
  
However, Arthur seemed to think differently. He bagan to say no, but it seemed Ron had already rehearsed this conversation.  
  
"Dad, we have to go with you to check on Harry. Not only because we're his friends, but we're also like family to him. Sirius would let us go because he understood that."  
  
The room went silent after the last sentence. No one had really discussed Sirius after he fell through the veil. Everyone looked quite sombre, especially Remus, whose eyes had watered over.  
  
"Let them come Arthur; he's right. Sirius would have been over to Harry's already, rather than sit here and discuss it." While he was talking, Lupin had gone over to a rack and grabbed his cloak.  
  
"All right.."  
  
Moody clapped his hands together; now was his bit in the organization.  
  
"Let's assemble a team. Let's see how many people we got." He looked aroung the room counting in his head himself, Lupin, Mr.Weasley, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George.  
  
"Seven will do nicely. Now that Fudge isn't controlling the Floo Network, can you set up a day link with their fireplace, Arthur?"  
  
"I'll get right on it." With that he Disapprarated, most likely to the Floo Regulation Panel at the Ministry.  
  
"Boys," said Moody, turning on Fred and George,"Could you go to Hogwarts? Ask Dumbledore if Snape's there, and, if so, have him bring plenty of healing potions. I have a bad feeling we'll need them."  
  
"Sure," they chorused seriously, and went by Floo to the school.  
  
"What about us?" asked Hermione, Ron discreetly holding her hand.  
  
"You two can go and clean up a room for Harry. He might need medical treatment. Put fresh sheets on, and set up a table next to the bed. Oh," as he called after their retreating backs," give Kreacher a good kick for me if you see him, the little traitor!"  
  
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"We're set up for Floo."  
  
Eevryone had now assembled in the afternoon lit kitchen, as they had put a window in so it wouldn't always be so gloomy. It had only taken about thirty minutes to get everything set up.  
  
"Snape's waiting in Harry's room in case... Well.. You know," said Mr Weasley, looking at the floor.  
  
Remus, however, was grinning grimly, giving him a rather scary tone.  
  
"If the've done anything to Harry, I might have to pay them a visit next full moon," he said, causing everyone in the room, excluding Moody, to shiver slightly.  
  
"Let's go then," said Moody. He stepped in, threw down the Floo powder, and yelled,"Dursley Residence!"  
  
As everyone assembled in the house, dusting off, they could only assume the Dursley's were gone as there had been no shrieking or yelling as they entered noisily into the room.  
  
"Where will he be?" asked Remus to Ron and he answered as they walked toward the staircase."The bedroom up here on the right. That was the one we rescued him from second year right, Fred, George?" They nodded.  
  
"Well, no wasting time then," said Mr Weasley and he opened the bedroom."Well, this is odd," he murmured as they all walked in," it looks like it hasn't been occupied in a while. Where could he be?"  
  
Ron and Hermione had turned pale, and then, as though of one mind, ran down the stairs, leaving the others to follow very confused. When they caught up, Ron and Hermione ha stopped outside the cupboard under the stairs, which they now inspected. It had several heavy locks on it.  
  
"What could they keep in there that needs so many locks, Moody?" clearly from Fred's voice, Moody was supposed to be checking with his eye. Moody already was, however, and no one had ever seen him that pale.  
  
"Arthur, unlock this door!" Mr Weasley took no hesitation from that tone, and quickly said "Alohamora". The door swung open. There, cramped in the cupboard, the saviour of the world laid on his back, mumbling incoherently to himself. He had several large and deep gashes from what could only have been a large knife, several long thin ones from a belt, and had the word 'FREAK' cut unceremoniously across his chest. His eyes looked as though they had been burned with something, and to make this scene truly disturbing, he was clutching the ruffled and deteriorating body of Hedwig, his owl, to his chest, stroking it softy, and the word 'HELP' had been written several times on the inside in his own blood.  
  
"Oh my god..." Mr Weasley murmured softly.  
  
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"No time to waste!" yelled Moody, and he very carefully began to lift Harry out of the cramped space. In full light, it looked as though every bone in his body had been broken. He was only wearing a ripped up pair of boxers, although the shredded remnants of a shirt, pants, and a pair of socks still hung around him. His body looked as though a skeleton of a human had been wrapped in flesh coloured cling wrap. At this sight, Hermione turned down the hall and vomited, Ron loooked like he was ready to faint, Fred and George looked like someone had told them that they could never play jokes on anyone again, and Lupin collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Only Arthur and Moody looked in any condition to help Harry, still mumbling to himself.  
  
"All of you, GET UP NOW!" commanded Mr Weasley, and while everyone was collecting themselves, he wrapped his traveling cloak around the small boy shivering in Moody' arms.  
  
"I know it's bad, but we must get him help now. Ron, you, Fred, and George search the house for Harry's stuff as you know it best. Fred, George, use locator spells if necessary. Hermione," he pulled her over to him," I need you to take pictures with this camera for evidence. Try to find the offending items and take pictures of everything suspicious. With any luck, Harry won't have to come back here anytime soon." He handed her a small camera, and she nodded, looking more serious than he had ever seen her. He then yelled loud enough for the twins and Ron to here.  
  
"I'm leaving a bag of Floo powder on the fireplace mantle, so come back when you're done. We've got to get Harry help immediately." And with that, he went through the fire followed by Moody carrying the now incoherent Harry. 


	2. The Trouble with Waiting

A/N: To let everyone know, tomorrow(Tuesday) I will be leavingfor a weeklong trip. I really hoped to be able to work on a lot more of this before leaving, but I am just now getting down my thoughts. Don't worry about whether I will update again or not. I plan on continuing this for quite a while.  
  
Chapter Two: The Trouble with Waiting  
  
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By the time everyone got back from their appointed duties at the Dursley's, it was late afternoon. As they stepped through the fireplace one by one, they discussed everything that had happened, and immediately went to Harry's room to check how he was being helped.  
  
Almost everyone occupying the house was in there, including a quiet Tonks, a hysterically sobbing Lupin, and Mrs Weasley letting said Lupin cry on her shoulder while her own tears ran down her face. Mr Weasley was the first to notice that they had come back and asked how it had gone.  
  
Fred and George pulled out the few items they had found.   
  
"All we could find was his wand and Invisibily Cloak," said George. Fred nodded and added,"It looked like they burned everything else, even the Firebolt."  
  
At this last word, Harry spoke the first understandable word this evening: Sirius. Eevryone shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"How is Harry doing Professor Snape?" asked Ron, holding onto Hermione. Snape turned around and addressed them. "Madam Pomfrey stayed for two hours, setting bones alone. She had to heal every_single_one, those bastards! I've been here trying to figure out what they burned his eyes with, probably a household cleaner or some other chemical; I don't know if he'll be blind or not." He paused to take a few breaths while Lupin cried harder at the prospect of Harry being blind. "The blood has clotted and I've applied an ointment to help with pain from the cuts. Other than the obvious need to get food into him, I think the only problems left are emotional ones. I don't know if those will ever heal properly..."  
  
Hermione handed Mr Weasley the pictures, detailing everything from the cupboard to Hedwig to the offending weapons hidden in the dishwasher. Mr Weasley complimented her on being so observant and said there should be more than enough evidence to get the Dursley's life in prison with the Ministry.  
  
"Why don't you four kids go get some sleep? And no Ron that's an order, not a suggestion. You all need it; don't worry, Harry will not be going anywhere."  
  
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The next week passed in a blur to Ron and Hermione. They had run into Dumbledore visiting Harry, who they talked to, murder in those normally twinkling eyes when the conversation turned to the Dursley's. Everyone who had seen Harry now wanted to rip out the Dursley's hearts and jump up and down on them.  
  
Lupin had now locked himself in his room, only coming out to use the restroom and to eat meals in silence. Molly had told Hermione that Remus thought Sirius and James would never forgive their old friend for letting Harry get abused which was really shaking him up. 'I think the only way he would forgive himself was if Harry said it was okay,' thought Hermione, sitting next to Harry. A sort of candlelight vigil had been set up in Harry's room; almost anyone with free time would come in there and sit.  
  
"Harry would be hating all this attention," said Ron sitting down next to Hermione, both chuckling at this. He handed her an envelope, keeping his and Harry's. "Hogwarts letters' here. Looks like we'll have to go shopping without him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me buying his stuff and getting a birthday present. It's only two days until the 31st."  
  
"That's true." Hermione and Ron jumped and saw Remus standing at the door, looking a good deal more collected than he had been. "I know just what I'm getting him, too." He held up a flyer, and Ron gaped.  
  
"A DARK FLAME?!"  
  
"Yeah," shrugged the werewolf. "Fred and George were talking over breakfast about the Firebolt. I'm not going to let Harry give up Quidditch."  
  
"But these are even more expensive than the Firebolts are!"  
  
"Last year while you children were at school, Sirius had all his money moved from his Gringott's vault to mine, and between you and me, he was richer than the Malfoy's. Ron, pick you jaw up. It's almost like he knew something was going to happen... But, anyway, what do you say? School and present shopping?"  
  
"Sure!" said Hermione, looking quite a bit picked up." It'd do good to get out of this house."  
  
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The day of the 30th was busy for everyone. They had all planned on having a surprise birthday party for whenever Harry woke up. Therefore, Tonks and Mrs Weasley, with the help of Fred and George, decorated Harry's gloomy room with streamers and everything else a surprise party would need, several of the treats being supplied by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes at no expense.  
  
While they were decorating the room, Harry's two closest friends and their ex-DADA teacher spent the entire day at Diagon Alley, buying enough presents for everyone to give Harry something. Hermone and Ron picked up everything they and Harry would need for sixth year, Lupin shrinking the bags so they could fit them all in their pockets. Then, Hermione bought Harry all-new quills, ink, parchment, and a new updated broom servicing kit. Ron picked up Harry several posters and a camera. Lupin went all out. Not only did he buy the new Dark Flame ("It beats out a Firebolt 2 to 1 in everything!") but an enire new wardrobe, both wizarding and muggle, considering Harry didn't have anything left. The wardrobe would be given by everyone, they decided, and bought a large cake from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.  
  
After getting home, thoroughly exhausted but content, they set everything out on the table, unshrunk it, and began wrapping all of it in some cool Gryffindor wrapping paper they found at Florish and Blotts, randomly putting names on the packages on clothes, and hoping all the while that Harry would wake up soon.  
  
The next day was tense. So tense in fact that the tension seemed to disturb Harry in his deep sleep state, causing him to squint with his eyes closed and murmur some sort of song he had made up.  
  
Snape wandered into the room just about when everyone was going to leave and exploded on the crowd of people.  
  
"GOOD GOD! LEAVE THE BOY ALONE! HE WON'T WAKE UP SOME SO MANY BRAINLESS GITS IN THIS ROOM!"  
  
"Stupid Snape..."  
  
Everyone in the room turned around, gaping at the now awakening Harry Potter. 


	3. The Trouble with News

A/N: Yeah, I guess the same one as last chapter. I don't think I'll be getting three chapters a day out forever though, so I sincerely hope you'll stick around for the entire story. Remember, this is my first!  
  
P.S. I might be able to bring our laptop with us on the trip, so I might post more chapters!  
  
P.P.S. I would like to whholeheartedly thank my first reviewer Kurbani! Thank you!   
  
Chapter Three:The Trouble with News  
  
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Everyone just sat and gaped at Harry, rubbing at the bandages over his eyes and still talking.  
  
"Stupid Snape, even has to ruin my dreams with his yelling. Why doesn't he go take a shower and stop breathing down my neck?"  
  
Everyone sat stunned, and then a din of laughter started, excluding Snape for obvious reasons. Harry stopped what he was doing at hearing all the laughing and tried to sit up, gave up and laid back down. Everything eventually died down, but Harry was still awake thinking. 'Why am I hearing a lot of people? Am I still at the Dursley's? Did someone find me?' he thought. He decided it was okay to ask out loud, repeating the same questions.  
  
After they told him the whole story, he was frowning slightly, causing people to be confused. He then began to speak slowly, as though he really had to think about each word. "I'm sorry that you had to see me like that....... with Hedwig, and the blood, and everything.......... I'll tell you later.Perhaps later," said Harry. As an afterthought, he added," Why do I have bandages on my head?"  
  
"Professor Snape," Ron sniggered before continuing at a look from said professor," did that. Those people, the Dursleys (causing everyone in the room to scowl darkly), poured something in your eyes, and-"  
  
"It was hydrochloric acid. A drop in each eye each day over three days. Burned like hell and back."  
  
Professor Snape stepped forward and began unwrapping the bandages, talking to Harry." Then there's a good chance you won't be able to see again. There are many spells that can be used in this case to correct the damage and restore vision, however, so don't worry. You might not even need your old glasses anymore if the spell can be taken that far."  
  
Fred and George who looked impatient the whole time, blew open several bottles of Butterbeer with their wands and handed one to a confused but grinning Harry," HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!"  
  
"Seriously, it's my birthday?"  
  
"Yes, Harry, and you've had us all so worried that we bought a ton of presents for you," exclaimed Hermione, who was handing him a present. Harry, with shaking hands, took it, and thanked everyone for everything before opening the now huge pile of gifts.  
  
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The last week before school started, like the week before had, passed in a blur. However, this time it was because everything around the the house was cheerful again and not tense and anxious. Harry had been gaining weight steadily since coming back to Grimmald Place, and in another week or so, would be almost back to normal.  
  
Harry had been quite surprised at the amount of presents he had gotten and had thoroughly laughed as Remus told him he was now holding a new broom in his hands. The party had gone on for quite a bit until Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore showed up, the latter looking quite amused and the former quite horrified. She yelled for everyone to leave, and many left the room giving her dirty looks on cutting short their time with the guest of honour. Dumbledore, meanwhile, was congratualating Harry on pulling through and the new broom before letting Harry go back to sleep.  
  
As they didn't have to go shopping for any school stuff, Ron and Hermione sat around with Harry everyday, glad to be seeing their old friend back, even if he was quieter after the party and spoke less. On the day before school started, Madam Pomfrey dropped by again, and told him that he would be strong enough to make the trip to Hogwarts on the train, causing the three of them to whoop and holler. Harry was a bit worried about getting on and off of the train and the carriages, but Hermione and Ron promised to help him. As celebration for tomorrow, Harry, with the help of one of his friends on either side, made the trip down to the kitchen for dinner, blushing furiously as everyone gave him a standing ovation.  
  
Harry fell asleep at the table, and when everyone noticed, Lupin offered to carry him to his room. He then tucked Harry into bed, Harry murmuring,"Night Uncle Wemy" which caused a small smile to erupt on the werewolf's face. Harry seemed to remember the pet name for his "uncle" from when he was tiny. Sighing, he closed Harry's door, whispering, "Goodnight, Little Prongs."  
  
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The day of the trip had come at last, causing everyone to feel anxious but happy, no one more so than Harry. He had had another surprise visit from Dumbledore that morning who healed the damge to his eyes so well Harry didn't even need his old glasses anymore, causing him to grin ear to ear.  
  
Yes, he was thoroughly looking forward to going back to school with his friends as he walked into King's Cross.  
  
As Harry and the other three along with their guard of Moody, Lupin, Mr and Mrs Weasley, and Fred and George stepped onto Platform 9¾, noise exploded at once. Everyone from Gryffindor had been waiting for Harry. The guard departed, and Harry found a compartment with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, still being followed by the mob. Harry shooed them away, one of them dropping a Daily Prophet. Harry grew cold, knowing that unknown.  
  
With a low sigh much like a hiss, he opened the Prophet to the front page, and what he saw almost made him faint.   
  
The headline "BOY-WHO-LIVED ABUSED BY RELATIVES" sat above two pictures: one of his cupboard, the other of himself right after leaving. 'No wonder they were swarming around me,' he thought angrily. ' They just wanted to look at the freak. Well, no matter, I don't need them anyway.'  
  
He tossed the Prophet at his two friends sitting across the way, and they both looked as angry and shocked as he did when they read it. Harry looked out the window, and said no more the entire trip, except to cuss out people who came to the compartment in Parseltongue. They got the jist, and left Harry alone with his slowly forming dark thoughts.  
  
Everything after that went almost unnoticed until Ron and Hermione gasped when they got to the carriages.  
  
"What?" asked Harry irritably, looking at the thestrals. After last year those things really creeped him out.  
  
"I can see them!" They said, which caught their friend's attention.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"They're kind of transparent, but I can see them," said Ron.  
  
"Probably cause I was so close to being dead when you found me, that you can half see them." He paid them no more heed and got into a carriage, followed slowly by Ron and Hermione, still gazing at them in wonderment and the realization that Harry had talked about what happened to him so bluntly. They were slightly taken aback.  
  
The Great Hall shot down Harry's idea that everyone would leave him alone. When he walked in, many whispers started and many questions were yelled across the hall, from "Do ya want them to get death?" to "Do you really have the word 'FREAK' on your chest?". Harry glared at them all angrily and sat at the end of the table. However, Dumbledore caught his eye and motioned for him to sit in the empty chair next to him, and Harry left Ron and Hermione at the table.  
  
"Before we start the feast, I must say one important statement: Anyone caught asking questions of Harry without having his consent will be punished with detention. Thank you, and let the feast begin!"  
  
Immediately hushed talking broke out again, causing Harry to glare angrily at the four house tables again before starting on his dinner. 


	4. The Trouble with an Unexpected Letter

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm leaving all of my talkings on chapter 5, as I'm releasing this and 5 at the same time. Aren't I a nice person?  
  
Chapter 4: The Trouble with an Unexpected Letter  
  
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"Now that we have all stuffed ourselves with that wonderful feast, we have a few announcements to add to the first one." -Several people pointed at Harry-" As you all know, magic is not permitted for use in the halls and the full list of items that can be confiscated is posted on Mr Filch's office door.   
  
The staff and I would now like to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, someone you may all know, Professor Remus Lupin!"  
  
At this Harry turned to the door opening at the end of the Hall and watched as Lupin walked up to the staff table and sat down next to Harry. In his fuming, he hadn't even noticed it was empty. That was behind him now as he beamed at Lupin, happier than he had been all day.  
  
"However,"continued Dumbledore," I regret to inform you that Professor Flitwick has died at the ripe age of 121. While I know it is a great loss, we still must welcome our new Charms Professor. Professor, will you step in?"  
  
For the second time that night, Harry turned to the doors of the Great Hall just in time to see a young man in bright purple and torquise robes come bounding into the hall. His white- blonde hair and gold eyes shone in the candlelit hall and he made quite a scene before reaching the staff table, performing a series of acrobatic stunts until calmly walking down and sitting in the seat next to Remus, who was slowly massaging his temples and murmuring "Wide open places, wide open places..."  
  
"Yes, yes, wonderful Professor! Yes, students"-most were staring in shock at the new Professor who all waved at them and winked at several others-"this is our new Charms Professor, Professor Chaos Achilles Lantica or Professor Cal as he enjoys being called."At this the new professor winked and blew a kiss to the entire hall, causing several reactions ranging from flattered to hideously disgusted, Hermione being the former and Ron and Lupin being the latter. Harry himself settled in the middle and chuckled. Professor Dumbledore's mouth twitched in merriment before continuing.  
  
"Well, now that that is out of the way, bedtime! We must have you all on a full night's sleep before the first day of classes! Off you go!"  
  
"Well, that was strange," muttered Ron. "Lupin I'm happy with, but the new Professor I'm worried about. I mean look!" He pointed at something and Harry and Hermione, following his gaze, gaped. Remus was walking out of the hall, furiously blushing as Professor Cal hung on his arm talking about all sorts of inappropriate things, leaving many students laughing and blushing.  
  
"Poor Lupin, he always gets stuck with something, doesn't he?" said a sympathetic Hermione.  
  
Harry didn't say anything as they ascended the levels to Gryffindor Tower, his progress only hampered a second at the Fat Lady before Hermione gave her the password ("Two-faced"). Harry went up the stairs to the dormitory for sixth year boys, opened his trunk, pulled on a pair of new black and green silk boxers, and went to bed.  
  
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"PLEASE STOP! I PROMISE I WON'T TALK AGAIN! PPlease..."  
  
"Harry! Harry, wake up!"  
  
Harry found himself being shaken awake roughly by Ron, but he didn't see Ron; he saw his Uncle shaking him, hurting him...  
  
"Stop, stop please..........." Harry squirmed out of Ron's hold and sunk onto the bed, curling himself into a tight ball, his eyes watching Ron, pupils contracted in fear.  
  
"Harry, it's me Ron, don't worry, it's just me and the other guys. We won't hurt you..." By this point Ron gently reached out a hand and touched Harry's forehead, causing Harry to flinch. Ron kept the hand there saying soothing things until Harry calmed down. When he seemed to come out of it, he looked shamefully around at everyone who was staring at him fearfully. He looked down, extremely embarassed for breaking down in front of everyone.  
  
"I'll.. I'll be in the common room reading, okay Ron? I'm fine, I'm just not tired; besides, it's four. I'm usually up by now. I can't believe I slept in." Harry then grabbed his Transfiguration book and went down to the empty room and sat in front of the fireplace, not seeing the look of concern on everyone's faces.  
  
When Harry came up to the dormitory again at 7:00 to get dressed, there was an awkward silence between everyone. Harry didn't seem to notice though as he was lost in his own thoughts as he, Ron, and Hermione walked down to breakfast.  
  
Looking up at the staff table upon entering, the trio saw that Lupin had sat as far away from Cal as possible, and Cal was now making googly eyes at the murderous-looking Snape sitting next to him. Apparently the glare that worked so well against the students had no effect whatsoever on this new teacher.  
  
"Main, is that guy flirty," Harry said, sitting down next to Hermione, eyes averted from Ron by the swoosh of the mail being carried in by all the owls. This caused a deep pang in his heart thinking about his always faithful and now defeated Hedwig. He quickly focused on what everyone else in the Great Hall was focused on, however. A large black raven with a long neck and burning red eyes swept in and landed in front of an astonished Harry. Looking at it closer, Harry really thought it looked more like a black phoenix than anything. Harry took the envelope out of its mouth cautiously before it fluttered up and settled on his shoulder. With everyone watching, he silently read the letter, brow furrowed, before handing it to Ron and Hermione, who read it and paled.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
While we might not have always been on the best of terms, the story that appeared in the Prophet about you yesterday greatly affected me. I myself was abused as a small child (not as bad as you were, mind you) which is perhaps why my ambition to prove myself was my greatest asset.  
  
This bird is your belated birthday present from me, since the story also said your owl was killed. The raven's name is Black Ruby, a bit flashy perhaps, but it fits him. He will always be faithful to you.  
  
Feel free to write me whenever you wish. Black Ruby will know where to find me, as I find you extremely intriguing as of late.   
  
I will pull this letter to a close by letting you know something: Muggles have caused more wars than all of the magical creatures and wizards combined. They are a race doomed to failure, and deserve to become extinct. Maybe you agree with me after this summer, maybe not.  
  
I feel I have grown sentimental because of you, you foolish child.  
  
  
  
Highest personal regards,  
  
Lord Voldemort  
  
"Oh my God..." murmured Ron, looking at the crimson-eyed bird who was now being fed ham by Harry.   
  
"I can't believe it, 'deserve to become extinct'!" said an angry Hermione, handing the note back to Harry, who folded it carefully and put it in his bag."My parents are Muggles! You don't think they all deserve to die, do you, Harry?"  
  
Harry never responded, as Black Ruby was now nipping at his hair playfully. They never noticed the entire staff watching them carefully.  
  
"So, Harry," started Ron after Professor McGonagall handed out schedules,"what are you taking this year?"  
  
"Let's see," said Harry, looking carefully at the schedule. "N.E.W.T. Charms, N.E.W.T. Defence Against the Dark Arts, N.E.W.T. Transfiguration, N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, and a new class called Healing Magic and Potions. Hmm...It says it makes up for a Potions class. I've never heard of this class, though. Have you, Hermione?"  
  
"No, but it looks like we all have it first. Shall we go then?"  
  
"Let's." 


	5. The Trouble with First Days

A/N:Hey everyone! I decided I would release two chapters at a time for now. I'm sorry I couldn't update through my trip. A storm blew out the local telephone lines so I couldn't upload anything. I'm actually finishing up chapter 7 right now, and 7 and 8 will be released when I'm getting done with ten, okay?  
  
Thanks to everyone who reads, even if they don't review!  
  
Chapter 7: The Trouble of First Days  
  
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As they began to walk toward the hospital wing where the special "Healing Magic and Potions" course would be held, the three couldn't help feeling slightly nervous. All three knew Madam Pomfrey's attitude, and personally couldn't imagine her teaching a class. However, with the war now about to break, Hermione, Ron, and Harry decided it would be a good idea to know healing methods for helping on the battlefield, as well as for .... different reasons.  
  
Sitting down in the front row, Harry in the middle and the other two on either side, Madam Pomfrey strode in followed by the rest of the class which included Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and what seemed like a few Ravenclaw's and Draco Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey waited until everyone found seats and began immediately, her voice demanding silence from the class.  
  
"Before we begin learning the important art of healing magic and potions, we will discuss what this class will be about and why you were selected to attend this course. The latter question will be answered by this: all of you were specially selected for some reason. Whether you care for a family member that needs magical care (she glanced a look at a ebony-haired Ravenclaw girl) , friends that seem to get into the middle of everything (with a glance at Hermione and Ron), or for more personal reasons."  
  
At this last line, she looked purposefully at Harry which caused the rest of the class to look at him, too. Harry glared at the matron for making all this attention, and she continued with discussing the art of healing injuries and illnesses.  
  
"I will admit to you right now," she continued," that this branch of magic is difficult if you do not throw yourself into it and practice everyday." At this last note, she began passing out books entitled 'Modern Healing' and put notes on the board for them to copy. She took the opportunty to explain how the class would work while the scratching of quills filled the infirmary. "Every week, we will start class by showing the spell we learned last week in which points will be given on how effective it is. After everyone has gone, notes will be put up, and we shall practice the next spell. This is a highly independent class, requiring as I mentioned earlier, a good deal of work outside in your own time. Does anyone have any questions before we begin with our first spell?"  
  
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"Man," grimaced Ron, walking out with the rest of the class after an hour of practicing a simple spell to heal small cuts and bruises." I thought this would be an easy class, didn't you?"  
  
"Of course not!" said Hermione. "Magic of the healing kind is always very complex! Why do you think a Healer has to be so good in all the other forms of magic?"  
  
"I just thought that they didn't want a bunch of stupid people applying for the job... Well, anyway, what have we got next?"  
  
Harry finally entered into the conversation with a grin on his face. "Defence Against the Dark Arts!"  
  
Once again taking seats in the front row ("Has Hermione rubbed off on us this much, Harry?" asked Ron) they began getting out supplies, talking quietly and excitedly like the rest of the class. But wait...  
  
"Hello everyone!" exclaimed Remus Lupin, looking a good deal happier than Harry had ever seen him. "As some of you noticed by now, this is a rather mixed class. Can anyone tell me what this class is?"  
  
"It 's everyone from D.A.," replied a misty voice a few rows back. Harry looked around and gasped. It was the entire D.A. class, excluding Fred and George of course. The speaker had been Luna Lovegood, still looking as strange as ever.  
  
"Quite right! Five points to Ravenclaw! Yes, Dumbledore has learned everything you have all been taught last year and is quite impressed. Many of you are now more competent than many adult witches and wizards in Defence Against the Dark Arts and the Headmaster and I thought we could set up this specially advanced class for you here." He smiled even more broadly at everyone, as though he was brimming over with pride, and continued.  
  
"For first term, I thought we could learn a bit of the myths and history behind the Dark Arts, starting at the beginning of Hogwarts. Now, as most of you all know, Salazar Slytherin, founder of Slytherin House, is classified as a 'Dark wizard'. What is a main reason for this?"  
  
Hermione shot her hand in the air and answered," Well, Professor, one main reason is because he was a Parselmouth."  
  
"Five points to Gryffindor! Now, being able to speak snake language, or Parseltongue, has always been considered a Dark Art. However, this isn't always the case, is it, Harry?"  
  
Harry, who had been listening raptly, said,"No sir, unless people consider me a Dark wizard." Much of the class chuckled, and Lupin was beaming.  
  
"This was meant to be an example. We must not classify everything and everyone in the wizarding world 'Light' or 'Dark'. There are many shades in between to fill. I thought next lesson, Harry, if he wishes to, could teach us a bit of Parseltongue to ward off unfriendly snakes." The entire class began whispering excitedly at this, looking longingly at Harry, who couldn't help but grin.  
  
"Well, as class is going to end in ten mintues, I might as well tell you. Everyone in here has heard by now that I'm a werewolf, so I thought I would tell you that Snape won't fill in for my absences anymore"- he paused for the whoops of joy- "My substitute will be a Nymphodora Tonks, a highly skilled Auror who has kindly consented to give up some of her precious time in helping me."  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron then discussed this informmation until the bell rang signaling lunch. Before they could leave, however, Lupin asked the trio to his desk. Whatever he was going to tell them was private, and they waited until the last student had left the room. Lupin the spoke, grinning, if possible, wider than ever.  
  
"I was wondering if you three would like to take special classes with me." He looked as though he was swelling with some secret he wanted to tell them.  
  
"What would you be teaching us? All of us have already learned how to produce Patronuses in D.A., and-"  
  
Lupin silenced Harry by putting a finger to his lips. "I thought you three could learn from the last of the Marauders to become Animagus."  
  
"Seriously?!" shouted Ron, and they all started looking as happy as Moony himself.  
  
"You three, whether you know it or not, are more impressive than the Marauders were. You may not have done as many pranks, but you certainly have done many impressive things that the rest of the students have not by yourselves. Besides, we can't have the last of the Marauding blood die out without knowing how to become an Animagus, and you three could help eachother when I'm not teaching you."  
  
Hermione suddenly had a frown. "Professor, when you were in school, it took the Marauders 3 years to become Animagus, how-"  
  
Lupin had started laughing." I knew you would find that problem, Hermione. However, the reason it took us so long to do it was we didn't have anyone who knew how to help. While I still cannot become one, for reasons you will find out if you're up for it, the other three had me record everything we did to become one in a small journal. Therefore, we have the steps written down, and once you get past the first step, it's very easy from there. So, are you three up for it?"  
  
"Do you really have to ask that question? When do we start?" exclaimed Harry, and they all ended up having lunch in the classroom, discussing when and where to begin. 


	6. The Trouble with Steely Tones

A/N: I'd just like to thank Laurel Elven for giving me such a nice review! Watch out all those people who read but don't review my story; she'll kick you if she finds you! Bwahahahahaha!  
  
Chapter 6: The Trouble with Steely Tones  
  
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After a cheerful lunch with Lupin where they decided to meet in the Room of Requirement for Animagus lessons on Friday after dinner, Hermione and Harry headed toward N.E.W.T. Transfiguration while Ron headed off to his new Muggle Studies class ("About time, too!" huffed Hermione), seperating on the second floor.  
  
Professor McGonagall started off with her usual speech about it being a difficult class and immediately gave them notes and set them to turning a raccoon into a sitting stool. Hermione and, to everyone's surprise, Harry managed to get it on their fourth try earning Gryffindor 10 points each and didn't have a homework.  
  
"Well, Harry, I'm impressed," said Hermione as they waited for Ron to go down to dinner. "If you apply yourself like that all the time, you wouldn't always have to put homework off to the last!"  
  
"I don't know," Harry mused. "Ever since I recovered, I've felt wired with magical energy.. I think I might look into it."  
  
Ron came down the stairs beaming, and as they walked into the Great Hall, he told them all about his Muggle Studies class. "I can't believe it, Harry!" he said, spearing a fried potato and chewing happily."Electricity and magic really are rather alike aren't they? I can see why dad finds Muggles so fascinating!" Both Hermione and Harry laughed at Ron's enthusiasm about things they grew up around.  
  
After a thorough dinner, they climbed into the Gryffindor common room and began on practicing that Cut Healing spell after Harry and Hermione helped Ron with his homework ("What is the function of a light bulb?"). Realizing with shock that they didn't have any other homework, Harry and Ron began a game of Wizard Chess while Hermione watched discussig Friday and how they wished the week would just fly by.  
  
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And how the week flew by indeed. Tuesday started off with Charms. Charms which was a very interesting class in itself, not including the highly energetic Professor Cal who had a pet Runespoor. The Runespoor named 'Mr Kiss Kiss' was much like its owner, slithering around the classroom making innappropriate comments about the students. Harry found himself laughing along with Professor Cal who Harry discovered to be a Parselmouth, too. After asking him a few shaky sentences in Parseltongue, Cal told him he just needed to practice the language a bit and had them work on a Freezing charm, causing a very noisy classroom as a few people aimed improperly and hit a fellow student. Harry and Hermione thought it would be an excellent spell to use against offending wizards and witches if it should come to that; Ron was currently being thawed by Cal while Neville blushed and apologized profusely.   
  
While the other two had a break period, Harry went to his new class of Ancient Runes thinking it was bound to come in useful sometime. He noticed runes were often used on several wizarding things such as pensieves and could greatly help him with what he was planning to do when by himself.  
  
Wednesday, they had another round of Transfiguration along with Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid hugged them all hello when they showed up and gave Harry a teary smile. When class commenced, Hagrid said they'd be covering more complex creatures the first term, such as the giant squid and merpeople.   
  
"Then," Hagrid proposed," for second term, you can pick a creature tha' ' ya want to learn mor' about." (A/N: sorry if that doesnt sound like how Hagrid talks but his speech is hard to write!)  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron decided that they didn't need to decide right then as they had a whole term ahead of them, though they were leaning heavily toward a Hippogriff. After all, they knew more than they ever wanted to about Skrewts.  
  
Thursday was Charms along with Ancient Runes for Harry, and Friday was devoted to an entire day of Defence Against the Dark Arts for the D.A.  
  
Harry found that Lupin had several garden snakes for everyone to practice with, and while people were sitting down they watched Harry interested, as he warmed up by talking to all the snakes. Lupin cleared his throat and the whole class looked excited.  
  
"Before I begin, I need to have Harry tell the snakes what we expect them to do. Harry, could you please tell them to advance upon the student until they say 'stop' in Parseltongue?"  
  
"Sure," said Harry, and he hissed the plan to the snakes, who to the class' amusement, nodded their heads when Harry finished speaking.  
  
"Now we cannot expect to master how to do this in one lesson. After all, this is not a learned tongue; you are born with it. Harry will provide us with the enunciation for 'stop' and come around and correct you before we begin. Harry?"  
  
Harry did an odd hiss and spit to the class, and when they tried to say it back to him, calling out everything from 'FIRE HYDRANT" to "SOD OFF", he knew he was going to spend some time on this. He went around to every person, working with them until they had a distinguishable 'stop'. Lupin then cleared the desks to the walls and had the students line up across from the snakes. The snakes were released on to the ground by Harry, who told them to stay until he gave the word.   
  
"Now, each of you will be approached by a snake that will stop if you manage to tell it so. I figure we'd make a little game out of this with the winner getting a bag of Bertie Bott's Beans. If the snake reaches you, you are out and will sit down in one of the desks, and we will keep going by rounds until we have a winner. Everyone clear?"  
  
As class ended with Dennis Creevey being the winner, Professor Lupin had Harry help him round up the snakes into their cage, Ron and Hermione waiting for Harry at the door. They promised to meet right after dinner, and the four of them walked down to dinner together talking about their first week of classes. When Harry talked about Charms, Lupin blushed.  
  
"Why does that guy hang on you anyway, Professor?" asked Ron arriving in the entrance hall and opening the doors to the Great Hall.  
  
"When Prongs, Padfoot, Wormtail, and I went to school, Professor Cal went to school with us. He was the same year as us in Slytherin, and he... uh... had a crush on me," said Lupin rushing through the last five words and hurrying to the teacher's table before they could ask him anymore. Hermione blushed furiously, Ron looked as though he was about to vomit, and Harry was chuckling. The two looked at him for an explanation, to which Harry said simply with another chortle,"Could you imagine the teasing he put up with from Prongs and Padfoot?"  
  
And, laughing, they sat down for dinner, eager for their first lesson in becoming Animagus.   
  
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When dinner was done and they saw Lupin getting up from the staff table, the three decided to walk up to the corridor that housed the Room of Requirement. Meeting Lupin there five minutes later, they let Lupin walk past the wall three times as they didn't know what would be needed. The door appeared, and they stepped in.  
  
The room was smaller than it had been for D.A. and there were only a few things in the room. A couch sat against one of the walls with a table and chair next to it, and the wall perpindicular was covered in full- length mirrors. Harry noticed a small book in Professor Lupin's hand as they sat down on the couch together.  
  
"Now, I think that I should tell you something before you get started. According to my friends who put their own experiences in here" - he lightly gestured the boook in his left hand- "the first time you transform, you will not be yourselves for the first couple of minutes. It's a period when your own mind is clashing with the creature's instincts, and I will be ready to take precautionary measures once you find out your animal and you transform later.  
  
You can always tell a person who is capable of being an Animagus from everyone else because they always carry a very strong trait of some kind. I could tell you three were capable back in third year while in the Shrieking Shack. Ron has a strong trait for standing up for his friends and family. Hermione, you have a strong trait for rationalizing before action. Harry, you have a trait of courage and emotional strength like... like Sirius."  
  
Harry, who'd been grinning at his blushing friends, switched to being serious. He had decided something over the summer while laying in his cupboard he had told no one. He no longer wanted to be like his father; he wanted to be like Sirius more than anything. Remus saying he was like Sirius filled him with pride.  
  
Lupin spoke again. "Now, let's get started. The first step in 'Three Easy Steps to Become an Animagus' - I wish James had used a different title- is to find out what your animal is. Now, spread yourselves out on the floor and find a position comfortable for you. It doesn't matter whether you're sitting, standing, or simply laying down. After you do this, begin to think about your strongest emotion and how you came about to that one being most important. When you concentrate on this and focus only on this, an image of your animal will appear in your head. This will leave you slightly drained, but you will be fine. Now, go about it."  
  
Ron sat in the middle of the floor, Hermione stood next to ther door, and Harry layed down next to the mirror wall. They were very silent, focusing, focusing....  
  
They were in those positions for nearly an hour before they snapped up as one, rushing over to Lupin who was grading papers on the table. He smiled up at them.  
  
"Well, that certainly didn't take long. I expected at least four sessions before everyone found out what they were. You children must be more in touch with yourselves than the dear Marauders were." At this, he laughed and continued. "So, what did each of you see?"  
  
Hermione went first, thoroughly beaming. "I'm a wolf! A wolf with the same coloured hair as mine!"  
  
Lupin looked slightly shaken at this, but smiled again and turned to Ron. "What about you?"  
  
"There must be some mistake..." uttered Ron. He looked thoroughly terrified. "I saw a red spider, size of a bloody dinner plate!"  
  
"Well, that would make sense," said Lupin. "The creature an Animagus becomes is the creature they are most frightened of. That's why I could never be an Animagus as I transform into that animal once a month. And you, Harry?"  
  
Harry was looking very dark, his eyes had acquired a steely tone to them, looking oddly silver. "I'd prefer to keep mine to myself for a bit."  
  
Hermione was gazing at Harry in slight fright at his voice, which was deeper than normal and slightly morose.  
  
"That's perfectly fine Harry," Lupin replied, putting his papers in his bag. "Your father was the same way. Well, that was a very good session. At this rate you could be able to turn into your animal by the third lesson. I think we should leave it here for tonight, however. You need to get some sleep. Oh, Harry, I have something for you!"  
  
Harry turned back around and walked back to Lupin. "You guys can go back to the Tower, I'll catch you up." The two left, and Harry turned back to Lupin who pulled out a wrapped package and gave it to Harry.   
  
"When I was cleaning the house, I found this in Sirius' room. He had us buy it for your birthday present after you spoke to us about your father. Open it."   
  
Harry, hands shaking, opened the surprisingly heavy package and gasped. Inside was a pensieve. While the same size as Dumbledore's, the basin was made of black pearl and the runes around the edges were engraved in what looked like real silver. Harry looked up at Lupin, smiling, and asked,"But why a pensieve?"  
  
Lupin smiled, and poked at the silver inside the basin with his wand. A picture of a teenage Sirius appeared, laughing at James whose head was stuck inside a hole behind a portrait. "Sirius had the feeling that you should know more about us and your father so you'd never hold a wrong impression. He and I sat down for a whole afternoon putting our favorite memories of the Marauders adventures in here so you could view them at your leisure. Of course, you can put any of your own memories in here. Once you put them in the basin, you will only be able to slightly recall the memory without viewing it. To get out of a memory, simply think about leaving the pensieve. However, I warn you. People will still be able to access these memories by touching the memory. They cannot leave the pensieve by themselves and will be stuck unless you go in and get them. Therefore, you might want to check daily to see if anyone has gotten stuck. Well, that's about it. Any questions?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well, off to bed little Prongs."  
  
"Goodnight Moony, and thanks."  
  
And Harry, holding the pensieve as though it were the world, headed up to the tower to view how his father got his head stuck in that hole.  
  
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A/N: Just so you'd know, James was most afraid of a stag because when he was little, he visited his uncle's house which had a stuffed deer head on the wall. It really scared him; I mean, those things are kinda creepy. Sirius was afraid of the dog because he saw a Grim when he was little, and Wormtail... well, he's just a little girl who was scared of rats. He doesn't deserve an explanation.  
  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and come back when I update! Bye! 


	7. The Trouble with a Dormitory

A/N: I'd just like to thank Laurel Elven for giving me such a nice review! Watch out all those people who read but don't review my story; she'll kick you if she finds you! Bwahahahahaha!  
  
Chapter 7: The Trouble with a Dormitory  
  
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Harry was awakened again by a nightmare he told no one about on Friday night. This was the twelfth time in a row, and though the boys sharing a dormitory had a good idea about what they were about, they still grumbled while they went to sleep again. Ron was the only one who seemed concerned by it. He went down to check on Harry in the common room.  
  
"You all right?" he asked sitting down next to him at a desk.  
  
"Huh?.. oh, yeah, just a nightmare," Harry muttered nonchalantly, stroking Black Ruby and writing some strange formula on a sheet. Then, as though he just realized what he was doing, he hurriedly scooped the paper into his bag away from Ron's curious eyes.  
  
"So... Quidditch practice Sunday. Looking forward to it?" Ron asked, changing to a more comfortable subject.  
  
Harry grasped onto the new subject excitedly. "Yeah. First go on my new Dark Flame! Can't wait to be back on the pitch. Damn Umbridge woman. Tryouts ought to be fun, right, Captain?"  
  
Ron, newly proclaimed Captain of the team, blushed and said," Yeah, it ought to be interesting who turns up. Ginny is still eager to be a Chaser. So, let's see... We need three Chasers and two Beaters. It's like making an entirely new team. By the way, what did Lupin hold you back for after the lesson?"  
  
"He gave me a belated birthday present Sirius had bought for me. A pensieve."  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Seriously. You can go back up to bed Ron. I'm fine."  
  
"Uh, okay."  
  
As Ron loooked back at his friend, Harry pulled out the parchment and continued writing.  
  
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As the weekend passed and classes started again, Harry could hardly believe he'd been back at school almost two months. Halloween was approaching, and a Hogsmeade weekend was on Saturday. They had met up with Lupin two weeks ago for their second lesson, in which they passed the second hurdle in relative ease. However, as Quidditch practices increased and the full moon was on Friday, their final Animagus session would have to wait until next week at least. Ron and Hermione were still pestering Harry about what he would become. He just pretended not to hear them on such occasions.  
  
"Moony will have to know before you do transform, Harry. He needs to know so he can be ready in case the creature is violent," pleaded Hermione, coming out of Defence Against the Dark Arts on Friday. The day with Tonks had been quite fun as she found Parseltongue to be quite fascinating and was asking Harry questions about it all day.  
  
"Don't worry, Hermione, everything will be fine," said Harry, sitting down and piling some mashed potatoes and shredded pork onto his plate. Ron told her to drop it, though he wanted to know what Hary would be just as badly as Hermione. "Harry, are you going to cut your hair anytime soon?"  
  
Harry, who had been rescued with shoulder-length hair, had insisted on keeping it and it was now almost to his hips. Pulled back by a silver piece of ribbon, his newly debonair hair added to his looks as did his newly bright eyes. Without his glasses, they really stood outagainst his beautiful skin. Every girl, along with several guys who played for that team, longed to hold his lithe body and he had been unofficially voted "Sexiest Sixth Year" much to Ron's and Hermione's amusement.  
  
After dinner, just as he was about to leave with Ron and Hermione, Professor Dumbledore appeared next to his shoulder.  
  
"Could I have a word in my office, Harry?" He seemed rather put off about something, Harry noticed.  
  
"Sure. See you guys back at the common room, okay?"  
  
As Harry walked off with Dumbledore, Ron whispered to Hermione,"What was that about? Harry hasn't done anything?"  
  
Hermione, slightly frowning, replied," I think we'll find out soon enough."  
  
Harry sat across from Dumbledore for what felt like the nth time since coming to Hogwarts. Harry sat patiently waiting for Dumbledore to begin.  
  
"I'm afraid I have some rather bad news for you, Harry," said Dumbledore.  
  
"What? What's happened?"  
  
"You can no longer sleep in the boy's dormitory."  
  
"WHAT? WHY? I don't believe I understand this...!"  
  
Dumbledore stood up and looked out the window. "I've been getting complaints from students. Being woken up in the middle of the night by your nightmares. They say it's been going on for two months, and they say they can't concentrate in classes because of lack of sleep. I'm afraid that as it involves other students, I need to act."  
  
Harry looked down at his lap, voice feeble when he spoke. "I filed all my thoughts that I see when I'm asleep into my pensieve from Sirius, but I still have the nightmares. Can't I just take a Dreamless Sleep Potion every night, Professor? I mean, it's not like I can go stay in one of the other dormitories or sleep in the common room..."  
  
Dumbledore turned back to Harry, the rising moon shining on his half- moon spectacles. He said,"I'm sorry Harry, but you cannot take a Dreamless Sleep potion every night. Repeated use of it would poison your system and eventually kill you. It's true, you can't sleep in another dormitory and you can't sleep in the common room. However," he continued, eyes beginning to twinkle," you could sleep in Godric Gryffindor's room."  
  
This caught Harry's attention, and Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Have you ever noticed that statue of Godic Gryffindor's sword at the very top of the boy's stairs?"  
  
"Yeah, it's right across from our dormitory."  
  
"When the founders of Hogwarts were alive, they slept in their dormitories in their own private chambers close to the students. Behind that sword, Harry, is the entrance to Godric's quarters. I am giving you permission to make this your room to change however you please. The current password is 'roaring silence' and you can change the password whenever you please."  
  
Completely stunned, Harry said," Thank you, Professor. I think... I think I'll be going now so I can move my stuff. Thank you again."  
  
"You're welcome, Harry," said the Headmaster, and Harry left the office still out of it.  
  
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Striding into the Gryffindor common room and up the dormitory stairs, Harry's friends continued following him. He hadn't even acknowledged their presence and was mumbling to himself like when they found him in the cupboard. They watched in amazement as the mumbling boy walked over to his bedside table and wardrobe and dumped the contents unceremoniously into his trunk, exempting the pensieve which he held in his left hand, the trunk handle in his right.  
  
"Harry, we're really sorry!" said Neville, who was trembling. Dean and Seamus, however, didn't notice as Harry was leaving as they were currently exploring the other's mouth.  
  
Harry continued out the door and stood in front of the statue. He looked up at it and then over at his friend's faces. He seemed to come out of a daze.  
  
"How long have you been there?" He asked completely puzzled.  
  
"Why did you pack your stuff up, Harry?" asked Ron.  
  
Harry explained the whole conversation in the headmaster's office, leaving Hermione and Ron both shocked. As though not expecting them to say anymore, Harry turned to look at the statue of the sword he himself had wielded nearly four years ago. He decided to speak the password in Parseltongue in case anyone overheard, and the sword slid up into the ceiling, leaving behind a wide doorway. Harry pulled his stuff in followed by Hermione and Ron, and they gasped.  
  
Godric Gryffindor's room was utterly beautiful, even if everything was covered in centuries of debris and dirt. The room was large, sporting a ceiling just like the Great Hall and several pieces of furniture. Harry put his stuff down and walked to a door off to the right. He was greeted with a reasonably large bathroom, complete with a large sink and vanity, bathtub, shower, and toilet, all of it done in blue pearl. Walking back into the main room, he looked at his friends who were still staring.  
  
"Well," said Harry, bringing them out of their stupor,"I think I'm going to start cleaning."  
  
"We'll help!"  
  
It must have been near midnight before they were done and as Harry sat down on one of the newly clean couches, he thanked Mrs Weasley's cleaning charms, for he knew if Ron hadn't known them, that it would have taken til dawn.  
  
The cleaned room was even more gorgeous than previously thought. The floor was done in a silver quartz, smoothly polished and inlaid with intricate designs. The walls were done in black marble of the highest quality complimented by the night sky on the ceiling now sparkling with stars. A large window big enough for a hippogriff was next to a beautiful cherry wood desk and matching chair. A pair of of couches made of the same cherry wood with silver and black upholstered cushions sat in front of a coffee table. A wardrobe sat next to a king sized bed. Its black satin sheets and hangings finished the room off in perfect splendour.  
  
"Hey guys, do you mind if I go take a shower before we talk about our plans at Hogsmeade tomorrow? I stink," said Harry standing at the door of the newly cleaned bathroom already.  
  
"Sure," replied Hermione, hanging Harry's robes in his wardrobe.  
  
Ron held up Harry's pensieve and asked,"Where should I put the pensieve?"  
  
Harry said," Put it in the centre of the coffee table, please." It sounded like he was already in the shower.  
  
Ron set the pensieve where Harry asked and sank back into the cushiony couch, savoring the feeling. Hermione joined him there, though she seemed distracted by the pensieve.  
  
"What's that?"   
  
Ron looked up and saw Hermione leaning over the pensieve. Ron joined her, and he saw as though through a tiny window Harry being knocked around by his aunt and uncle, bleeding profusely and pleading with them to stop. They both looked at eachother, equally pale in the face.  
  
"He's put those experiences in the pensieve," Hermione said.   
  
Ron looked back down and whispered," He never told us what happened and he may never willingly. It's been eating at me what they did to him and I want to know, even if it doesn't come from Harry's mouth."  
  
"No!" she urgently whispered, listening for Harry's footsteps. "We can't invade his private thoughts! That is a shameful way to find out! Stop Ron!"  
  
For Ron had started to lean over the pensieve, his finger reaching for the silver material inside. Hermione grabbed his arm just as he touched the substance and they were sucked into the pensieve, sucked into Harry's nightmares...  
  
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A/N: Oohh. One of my first true cliffhanger's... You'll have to wait until I get chapters 10 and 11 done before I release 8 and 9. Oh, I'm sorry to have forgotten to ask earlier to please review. It really makes a person feel good and want to keep writing. 


	8. The Trouble with a Transformation

A/N: Sorry for not updating in so long! School killed my muse and I'm just starting to resucitate it. ("Clear!") But anyways, I'm releasing this in a trilogy of chapters 8, 9, and 10 at the same time. Oh, and please don't be put off by what happens in this chapter. Just remember, the question of why will be answered in chapter 9 with Lupin.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 8: The Trouble with a Transformation  
  
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"Guys? Where are you?"  
  
Harry had come out of the shower half an hour ago to find his friends had disappeared. Getting into his boxers and pulling on a dressing gown, he thought they had decided to go to sleep and he decided to go say goodnight to Ron. Walking into his old dormitory, he discovered Ron's bed was empty. He went down to the nearly empty common room. His friends weren't there either. He asked Lavender Brown whether she saw Hermione go to her dormitory. Giggling, she said she hadn't seen her since she had followed Harry up the stairs with Ron. Harry thanked her and went back to his room.  
  
He was definitely panicking now. He checked his trunk, but his Invisbility Cloak was still there, so this couldn't be some awful joke. He sat down on the couch and looked at the pensieve. Then, bolting up with a sudden thought, he grabbed his wand, poked the pensieve's contents with his finger, and fell in.  
  
Ron and Hermione were both about to faint. For half an hour, they had watched Harry being tortured by his relatives. He had been nearly drowned in the back garden's pond, forced to drink household cleaners; they watched as his eyes were burned with the acid he had talked about, his screams reverberating in their heads. They had watched as he was slashed repeatedly with his uncle's belt and stabbed several times with a carving knife along with many other gruesome things.  
  
They couldn't get out, though they tried many times, and had resigned to watching this as a form of punishment for their curiosity. They were currently watching as a starved Harry, barely able to sit straight, let his locks hang down on his shoulders as he put eyeshadow, mascara, and lipstick on. As they watched him straightening his hair with a straightener tool, they both felt an incredible pain on their shoulders. Looking around, they saw a furious Harry gripping each of their shoulders so tightly his knuckles were white and his hands were shaking. Hermione and Ron felt a force pulling them upwards, and before they knew it, they were being pulled toward the door by Harry.  
  
"Harry, we are so sorry," Hermione whimpered as tears ran down her face.  
  
"Harry, why were you putting makeup on?" asked Ron, wincing as Harry was still gripping their shoulders in a vice grip. Hermione winced at Ron's lack of tact. Harry swelled.  
  
"YOU WANNA KNOW WHY?! I'LL TELL YOU WHY!" Harry yelled, letting go and standing sideways next to the door, looking at the heaps of his friends on the floor who were getting up.  
  
"I WAS ABOUT TO HAVE TO PUT ON A DRESS AND DANCE FOR MY UNCLE! YA HAPPY?! NOW GET OUT!" Tears were streaming down his face as he pointed toward the door with a shaky finger. "OUT!"  
  
Ron and Hermione knew there was no point trying to argue, and walked past Harry and out the door. The statue swiftly shut behind them and as they walked toward their dormitories, both of them heard those screams from the pensieve, and both felt they deserved it.  
  
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Saturday was a sombre day as students headed for Hogsmeade. Ron and Hermione had both gone to Harry's door and listened. They heard no noise, but knew Harry wouldn't be asleep at 9 in the morning. They decided he must have left for Hogsmeade already. Walking down to Hogsmeade, they saw no sign of Harry, though a pretty ebony-haired girl caught Ron's eye, causing Hermione to scowl at him. She looked like the Ravenclaw from their Healing class.  
  
"We're supposed to be looking for Harry!" she said as the girl passed, wearing a beautiful spider silk cloak in white. It made her beautiful hair stand out against the light material and many boys and girls heads turned watching the hooded figure.  
  
Hermione and Ron searched all the shops looking for Harry, only stopping at noon to have lunch at the Three Broomsticks. As they made another circuit of the town and had decided to look for Harry in the castle, a small tea shop caught Hermione's eye.  
  
"Let's check here really quick and then the castle," she said, pulling a stubborn Ron into the frilled shop of Madam Puddifoot's.  
  
Most of the tables were filled with couples. The only table open was next to one which housed the spider silk girl looking out the steamed window at the street. As she seemed preoccupied, she never turned around as Hermione and Ron sat down to have a cup of tea. When Madam Puddifoot came by, she took their orders and filled up the stationary girl's cup. They thought they heard a slight sniffling coming from under the hooded face.  
  
"Poor thing," murmured Hermione," she looks so morose. I wonder if she's meeting someone here.   
  
We should ask her if she's okay. I mean, I'd want someone to talk to, even if it was a concerned stranger."  
  
Both leaned over to the girl's table and Hermione asked, "Are you okay?"  
  
The sniffling face turned toward them. Ebony bangs hung elegantly into those steely silver eyes, but something in them clearly had a familiar look of hatred in them....  
  
"Harry?" Ron gasped.  
  
"Quit looking for me and keep your noses out of it." With this, the girl in white pulled her cloak down over her face and left the shop headed for the castle.  
  
"How did he turn his eyes silver?" asked a dumbfounded Ron, seemeingly blocking out what was concerning Hermione more. She rolled her eyes   
  
"They were colour contacts, Ron." said Hermione.  
  
"Colour whats?"  
  
"Oh, nevermind, let's go."  
  
Paying for their drinks, they left following the same route as Harry.  
  
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Over the course of the week, Harry ignored them at all costs. He worked in his private room, and as they never saw him leave, they figured he found a secret passage out of it. When they had a class with him, he would sit as far away as possible. Everybody was wondering what could have happened to make Harry avoid his best friends like that.  
  
As Friday rolled around and Lupin returned, Harry told him right off that he wouldn't be able to attend the final lesson that night. Lupin asked if everything was okay, but Harry just shook his head and said he'd been feeling under the weather lately and proceeded to sit in the back corner half in shadow. Ron and Hermione showed up and knowing they wouldn't get a word out of him, sat down in the front. Lupin continued with the lesson, deciding to let them work out whatever was going on.  
  
Lupin had his hands full that night. Harry hadn't shown up, so Hermione and Ron were the only ones who were to transform. Both of them had to be stunned the first few minutes while they fought with the creature, but they eventually came around, Hermione looking at her image in the mirror and howling; Ron looking in the mirror and fainting. Lupin told them once they turned back that they had been excellent.  
  
"I do have a favour of you two," Lupin asked as they left the room. "I was wondering if you would accompany me to Harry's room and back me up if necessary. I have a feeling he's going to be something big."  
  
"Uh..sure." Both tried not to look uncomfortable.  
  
Harry looked up as Lupin entered the room, guessing that he was here to finish up the lessons with him. He looked darkly at Lupin as he saw the two people following him.  
  
"Hello Harry," said Lupin cheerfully. "I thought we could finish up the lesson in your room. The other two have already transformed."  
  
"Then why are they here?" His tone was cold.  
  
"In case I need backup," Lupin said easily, still smiling as though he didn't notice the looks Harry was giving the other two. "So, what you do is concentrate on your animal remembering everything from steps one and two. Focus on really becoming that animal; not just sharing a body, but the two of you as one entity."  
  
Harry nodded and stood in front of the three in the clearing next to the window. He was focusing, focusing so hard he thought he imagined getting taller, his legs and arms getting thinner, his face getting longer... He did it.  
  
The creature looked at the three of them, finally trotting to Lupin and nuzzling Lupin with its thin face, glaring unblinkingly at the other two and unfurling its wings. It pulled away from Lupin and in one swift movement, jumped out the window and began flying silently over the grounds before the werewolf could Stun it.  
  
"A thestral," said Lupin watching it glide into the Forbidden Forest. "Harry's a thestral."  
  
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"Hagrid!" called Hermione, banging on the hut's door. "Hagrid! We need your help!"  
  
"What's the fire abou', Hermione?" said Hagrid, answering the door. "Oh, hello Lupin, Ron."  
  
"Hagrid, we need to urgently find a loose thestral," said Lupin. "Right now. These two need to come to help identify it."  
  
"Well, I'll just go grab a carcass or two and lure 'em in, right?-"  
  
"It won't work on this one. We need you to guide us through the forest."  
  
Confused, Hagrid accepted, and led them into the forest out of sight from the school. Meanwhile, they were explaining the Animagus bit to Hargid once they were sure they couldn't be eavesdropped on. He looked slightly shocked but promised not to say a word of it to anyone unless it became a threat to the students. Hermione grinned and pulled something out of her robes; it was a handkerchief of Harry's.  
  
"We can make this a lot easier can't we, Professor?" she asked Remus, who catching on smiled.  
  
"Go on, Hermione. Let's test that nose of yours."  
  
Grinning toothily, she tranformed into her wolf self. Maybe it was seeing a wolf grin, or simply that Hermione had actually transformed, Hagrid jumped slightly. She bounded around and over to Lupin. He scratched her head, and then held out the handkerchief. She eagerly began smelling it, taking in Harry's natural smell of cherry almond, and tracing the particles of Harry's scent across the grounds to the forest, she began jogging ahead of them.  
  
Ron and Remus lit their wands and Hagrid followed wolf- Hermione. He left in his wake a path for Lupin and Ron to walk on without getting snagged.   
  
After about half an hour of walking, Hermione let out an excited yelp and led them into a clearing.  
  
It was a perfectly beautiful clearing. While quite small, it had a brook running through it from a waterfall on one side, creating a silver mist that left a feeling of frost on the air; the trees let in little glimpses of moonlight and they all thought they heard a slight hissing of voices. And there, baring its fangs from a rock in the river, was the thestral Harry. Although he looked almost every part one of those dark creatures, they noticed that its legs and neck were slightly longer than a normal thestral's, its silky mane was slightly untamed, and the tail was dragging on the ground even though it was tied back with a bit of a silver ribbon...  
  
Hermione ran back over to Hagrid from the thestral and transformed back looking slightly frightened.  
  
"Now, take it easy, Harry," said Lupin calmly. "You won't be able to transform back if you're upset or angry-"  
  
But an eerie voice began filling the clearing. A slight whispering as though from the mist, tickled their ears and said," You don't know what they've done to my other self, do you, Moony?" Lupin glanced quickly at the thestral, it wide eyes and mane glimmering from the waning moon's light, its stance perfectly balanced on the rock, pawing the rock with one onyx hoof.. Lupin quickly looked at Ron and Hermione. Each looked equally terrified.  
  
"Don't look so shocked, Moony," said the voice again and the thestral gave an amused snort which sent steam from its nostrils. "You've been here before and know of its powers. How do you think I found my way here, even with my great sense of direction?"  
  
"The pensieve..."  
  
"Yes, you are correct. Before you leave for the castle after me, however," the voice continued, and the thestral opened its wings, stretching them to their full width. "Why don't you ask those two children what they've done to thoroughly piss my other side off. He is so angry with them he's retreated to the back corners of my mind." This statement caused an involountary shudder from Hermione and the creature on the rock glanced at her.  
  
"What's your name?" called Lupin, looking at the thestral suspiciously.   
  
The mist paused for a second and then replied. "Fallen Angel, the master of thestrals."  
  
And with that the thestral took off, flying toward the tower.  
  
"All right," Lupin said. "When we get back to Hagrid's Hut, you two are going to explain what happened. It takes a lot of strong emotion to be able to retreat into your creature's mind." And with his suddenly cold eyes, Ron and Hermione gulped as they headed away from the clearing.  
  
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A/N: Hopefully you're all still there. This might make the story a bit more interesting, won't it? Don't worry, Harry won't be getting an operation or anything! Oh, and I don't know if romance will work its way into the story or if it does, who will be with who. I myself am a big fan of Harry/Draco and Harry/Tom, but I've also had a request for Harry/Ginny. I don't know. It's still up for grabs in my mind, so I hope my decision doesn't make me lose my readers or anything. Reading fanfictions is how I got more open-minded about couples and such, and no, I'm not anti religious or anything, but it's nice to get away from cliche romances.  
  
Sorry for getting off on a rant, I think I completely lost what I was saying.. . Anyway, onto the next chapter! 


	9. The Trouble with Halloween Confessions

A/N: Look for Draco's and Harry's costumes; I think I'll be one of them for Halloween. Hopefully my parents would let me in Harry's. hehe...  
  
Chapter 9: The Trouble with Halloween Confessions  
  
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Hermione and Ron left Hagrid's hut about an hour later falling about 10 feet behind a brooding Lupin. He kept tossing them furious looks, though only Ron noticed as Hermione was currently sobbing into her hands.  
  
It had been awful as Ron recalled. When they had reached Hagrid's hut, they had been moved inside and forced to tell all of what happened. Neither Hagrid nor Lupin had said anything as they described falling into the pensieve, everything they had seen in the pensieve, Harry's reaction to the whole thing, and then about seeing him in Hogsmeade. The group had sat silently for probably half an hour, and while the two students were looking more and more depressed, the two teachers were beginning to look angrier and angrier. Lupin had suddenly stormed out of the room and not wanting to be alone with such an angry Hagrid, they had followed after him.  
  
When they finally reached the front doors, they noticed Lupin headed not toward his office, but to the kitchens for a midnight snack. Now thoroughly depressed, they headed up to their dormitories, never exchanging a word or glance.   
  
And their week before the Halloween ball (it had been announced that morning along with a special trip on Friday to Hogsmeade to pick out costumes) was equally as terrible for Ron and Hermione, much to Harry's enjoyment. Judging from the sympathetic looks from Lupin and the looks Lupin kept giving his old friends, Harry knew they had confessed after he had left the clearing. He was spending a lot of time with Professor Cal, who for some reason he felt he could open up to, sharing his experiences over the summer and everything that was going on. He even told him about becoming an Animagus.  
  
Professor Cal was quite a sweet person once you got past that hyperness of his. He confided in Harry that he had actually gone out with James before James fell for Lily in fourth year; that was when he had gone after Remus.  
  
Yes Harry spent a lot of time with his new friend, something that both Ron and Hermione had noticed.   
  
On Friday, the carriages had arrived at the school for the sixth and seventh years (as there was going to be alcohol at the party, only the upper years were invited). Not spotting Harry, the two resigned themselves to climbing in and taking them down to Hogsmeade. They tried not to look at the thestrals as they climbed out of the carriages at the town; they all seemed to be glaring at the two students with those unblinking eyes...  
  
"Here, Hermione, this is perfect for you."  
  
"Ugh! No, Ron, I'm not going to be a cheerleader!"   
  
"Come on!"  
  
"No!"  
  
It continued on in this stream for several minutes, while nearby students laughed at the bickering. After nearly an hour, they each found the perfect costumes, joining in with Dean, Seamus, and Neville. The five had decided to be the Village People, Ron being the construction guy and Hermione being the indian guy... er, girl. They had already signed up for singing for the school.  
  
("But I don't know their songs!" pouted Ron.)  
  
All the while a certain somebody and his newfound friend were helping eachother find their own costumes.  
  
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The day was just starting to draw to a close on Saturday before people started getting ready with all the sixth and seventh years acting giddy and excited and every year below them looking irritable and sullen. When the Village People came down the stairs everyone from Muggle families laughed at them, giving out explanations to wizarding kids who had no idea what half of them were.  
  
Everyone was beginning to meet in the entrance hall by 7:30 even though the doors to the Great Hall didn't open until 8:00. Scanning the room, Hermione saw that Harry wasn't here; only a couple of Slytherins which included the intolerable Draco Malfoy, standing with a crowd and gloating. He seemed to be dressed in some sort of 1920's black Muggle suit with small green sequins forming rows of lines down it with matching sequined tie. (A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but think of the lawyer's outfit from the movie 'Chicago' during the sequence 'Razzle Dazzle'. Anyone who hasn't seen Chicago, see it! I normally hate musicals, but it really is a cool movie!)  
  
More and more people showed up, and finally the doors opened. The Great Hall was beautifully decked out for the ball with tiny little specks of glitter falling from the ceiling like snow and catching the light, causing the whole room to look like it was sparkling. But what was most interesting were the teachers.  
  
Professor Dumbledore, dressed as a samurai, greeted them at the door as they entered. Serving drinks and looking around disapprovingly was Professor McGonagall dressed as though she were going to go on safari, complete with elephant gun. Much to everyone's amusement, Snape was going to work the photography booth (dressed to no one's surprise as a vampire) where a thoroughly embarassed Remus (Robin Hood) had a thoroughly excited Professor Cal (Maid Marian) sitting on his lap waiting for Snape to snap the shot.  
  
Music began playing, and they all stepped inside, everyone spreading out and getting drinks, dancing, getting photographs taken, or sitting down at one of the hundreds of tiny tables around the edges. Ron and Hermione took a table to themselves and began looking for Harry but to no avail, giving up after seeing that the Slytherin group were the last students to come in. Averting their eyes away to watch Cal start waltzing with Lupin ("Wow, Lupin's a good ballroom dancer!" exclaimed Hermione) their attention was caught by sudden hoots and catcalls. They turned to see who was getting all the attention.  
  
It was enough to cause Hermione to faint quite literally. There, arm laced with Draco's, was Harry. Harry was looking just as he had from the Hogsmeade trip. He had his long hair done in luxurious curls, falling elegantly down his back. But what was calling the attention to him (or her, actually) was what she was wearing. She was wearing a tight, black, sleeveless outfit rather like a leotard with a beautiful leather corset attached. Looking down his friend's body (he guessed his friend found some way to wrap down his... er. manhood) he saw garters coming from the corset holding up fishnet tights (his friend had shaved his arms, chest, and legs apparently) with some black high heels. She wore fishnet gloves with claws on them, and a cat tail and cat ears, both enchanted with magic to move naturally, sat in their respective places. Add some silver eyeliner, lip gloss, and contacts along with whiskers and Harry made one hell of an attractive cat girl, even if he didn't have an hourglass figure.  
  
Not noticing Professor Lupin checking on Hermione ( he was a bit preoccupied with his friend's endless legs), Lupin followed his gaze.  
  
"I don't believe I've seen her around," said Lupin casually, helping the waking Hermione sit. Ron turned to Lupin, grinning.  
  
"Consider what we told you that night about our trip to Hogsmeade. Do you really not recognize her?"  
  
Looking back, Lupin suddenly fell over himself, saying something that curiously sounded like "Shit!"  
  
under his breath before coming up.  
  
"That's-"  
  
"Yep," said a sniggering Ron. "I'm guessing Malfoy doesn't know or else he'd flip."  
  
"I think I might go talk to him," said Lupin and walked in the direction of cat Harry.  
  
"May I cut in?" asked Professor Lupin, looking at a sour Malfoy. Malfoy let go of his gorgeous dance partner, knowing to let the teacher get what he wanted. Harry looked a tad alarmed as they went to the dance floor and started to waltz. Lupin started talking first.  
  
"I know it's you, Harry."  
  
"Ssshhhh," the cat girl gestured. "Right now my name's Artemis."  
  
Lupin chuckled as he continued guiding Artemis around the dance floor.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Nothing really," chuckled Lupin. "The goddess Artemis, or Diana, goddess of the hunt and of the moon. Her chariot pulled across the sky by a pair of silver stags..."  
  
Catching on, suddenly realizing what Lupin was applying at (A/N: hint hint; patronus), the cat girl gave a chuckle and continued now to a slow waltz as the song changed.  
  
"Why did you dress like this here and at Hogsmeade?"  
  
"It's nice to not have people recognize you and be able to feel like a normal person, even if I have to resort to dressing the opposite gender."  
  
"I'm guessing you didn't want to be recognized by certain people tonight, anyway?"  
  
"They told you it was me, didn't they?"  
  
"Yes, they told me it was you, and they told me the truth after that night in the clearing. I cannot tell you how to feel, Har- er, Artemis. I can only tell you that they are truly sorry. It was an accident that they fell into the pensieve. Hermione had been holding Ron's arm when Ron touched the surface and they got sucked in."  
  
"Sure they got sucked in accidentally..." he said, glancing suspiciously at the two people sitting at the table, looking forlornly at him.  
  
"Now, Artemis," reprimanded Lupin. "I know how you got your first experience with a pensieve. You didn't know you could get sucked in either." Harry looked down, looking ashamed with himself over something. He was trembling under Lupin's touch..  
  
"I don't think I could forgive them, even if I wanted to..."  
  
"But why?" Reaching with a finger to lift up Artemis' chin, he saw a tear streaked face. Her voice was shaky and she was breathing erratically, as though she were collapsing in upon herself..  
  
"But that's the trouble love causes. You grow to love and trust someone- my parents, Ron, Hermione, Sirius- and then love comes and stabs you in the back with betrayal or loss. I will not permit myself to love again!"  
  
With that, she broke out of the surprised teacher's grip, and ran out of the Hall and onto the frosty grounds outside.  
  
"Where'd she go?" shouted Hermione to Lupin.  
  
After what happened, the party had a stagnant feel to it, and everyone left early for their common rooms. However, Ron, Hermione, and Lupin were now searching the grounds for their friend.  
  
"This is ridiculus! Accio Marauder's Map!" whispered Lupin. As soon as the map arrived he made the map come alive, and searched frantically while the other two ran up to him. They saw him blanche.  
  
"Quick! The tower!"   
  
They were running the perimeter of the building and stopped near the tower that housed the Gryffindors. Looking up, they saw why Lupin had blanched.  
  
Harry had changed into a set of white robes, the wind on top of the tower whipping them around his legs. He looked at the view around him, still crying, closed his eyes and jumped....  
  
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A/N: Oh no! I'm mean to you aren't I? The next chapter will prove to be interesting... Actually, I'm releasing this chapter with chapter 10 because if chapter 7's cliffhanger had Laurel Elven irritated, this one probably would have made them hunt me down and kill me! hehe  
  
Oh, Harry's costume is the worst I'll ever get with his dressing. If you lasted this far, congratulations! I had a lot of fun writing his costume. hehehe 


	10. The Trouble with a First Signature

Harry never felt himself hit the ground, though he felt the wind chill his face. He never saw a thin white light emit from his scar pull him into a standing position, though he felt a strange jerk. He never saw Ron, Hermione, and Lupin's faces along with the Gryffindor House watching him as he crumpled to the ground, though he thought he saw in his mind a familiar face with black hair and strong red eyes telling him to hold on........  
  
Harry lay in the Hospital Wing, unconscious, Madam Pomfrey furious as Ron and Hermione sat next to Harry's bed; Lupin had gone to the Headmaster to tell him of the events of that night. A strange red light had wrapped itself around Harry, and it was preventing Madam Pomfrey from performing any sort of treatment. However, the light itself seemed to stabilize Harry, and Ron heard Madam Pomfrey mutter something about "forces" before leaving for her office. They watched their friend for perhaps ten minutes before a loud bang from the door caused them to turn and gasp.  
  
There, standing in front of Professor Dumbledore and Lupin, was Lord Voldemort.   
  
Or should it be Tom Riddle?   
  
For as he approached, they noticed he didn't look as Harry described him as too thin and too white with vertical slits for pupils. The person in front of him looked in his early twenties, with smooth black hair and natural silver eyes. He looked down at Ron and Hermione, sniffed disapprovingly at them, and came to the other side of the bed. The light surrounding Harry became brighter.  
  
Everyone watched entranced as the Riddle man put his finger up to Harry's scar, softly touching it and speaking calmly to Harry.  
  
"Harry, why did you do such a stupid thing? Just because everything seems to be going wrong doesn't mean you are of no importance to this world. What about your project you've been working on? You're so close to finishing something that could help people like Remus Lupin. Are you just going to throw away something even I couldn't manage at my prime? I know you're stronger than that, so don't expect much sympathy from me. And quit sucking on my life force, it really drains me out and makes me talk and think and look like my other self. You foolish child..."  
  
As he was saying this, the light went dimmer and finally died. As it did, they noticed that Tom Riddle's skin was going paler, and his fingers were becoming large and spiderlike. He turned to Dumbledore.  
  
"I don't have much time before I revert, so I shall leave now. He should come around pretty soon. Take care, Professor." And he left out the door.  
  
While Lupin and Professor Dumbledore looked calm, they were the only ones. Everyone else seemed to be stuck in a silent scream. None noticed when Harry woke up, looking around.  
  
"Where did Tom go?"  
  
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Even though Tom's life force had helped stabilize him, he still was badly injured and received quite a reprimanding from Madam Pomfrey once he came around. Everyone in school had heard about what happened on the Tower from Gryffindors sitting next to the windows. They told of seeing a blur past their eyes and a crumpled Harry on the ground below. While no one could get in to see him except professors (he had told Pomfrey to please not let Ron and Hermione in) , he could still get rumour reports from an anonymous person. A white raven just like Black Ruby except with grey eyes would bring in letters telling what was going on in the student body. Pomfrey had snuck a peek at one such letter whle Harry was asleep, but she got no idea of who it was as the person had signed "Zurui" as their name. No one could get him to tell who the person was.  
  
"Come on, Harry," prodded Lupin, sitting with Harry on Sunday and eating one of Harry's many chocolate frogs.   
  
"I'm not telling who it is; they're not posing me any harm by telling me what's going on outside of the wing."  
  
"You'd know if you let Ron and-"  
  
"No."  
  
"Harry, they've profusely apologized..."  
  
Harry muttered something about "not good enough for invading one's private memories" while looking out the window. He then asked quite abruptly," When is the next full moon?"  
  
Lupin looked a tad startled, but said," In about 3 weeks."  
  
"I only have 3 more weeks..."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Harry stifled a yawn, and his eyes were drooping down. "I can't tell you right now because I'm about to doze off, but I'll tell you where to find my journal that has the information in it. Go to the sixth floor corridor and the cobweb wall; tap the stone spider. It will lead to a secret entrance in my room that I found. The journal's setting on... my ...... desskkk....."   
  
Remus chuckled as Harry fell asleep midsentence and decided to go see what was so important in relation to the moon. Following Harry's directions, he found himself in Harry's new room 15 minutes later. He took the journal from its spot on the desk and sank into one of the sofas. What greeting Lupin was Harry's handwriting and as he read, he was enthralled.  
  
' This incantation spell will seperate two entities from eachother. It is a more powerful version of a spell that you use to turn an Animagus back into a person. In that spell, however, you are only switching one entity for another. This spell makes two seperate bodies for them to work in. This could be applied to Professor Lupin being a werewolf. When the spell is completed, it would seperate his life force from the werewolf's and they would become two seperate beings.'  
  
This was followed by a large quantity of formulas and dates. The latest section read "Got through second to last hurdle before testing. Need to get white and black roses for last part before practicing. Talk to Lupin about seperation from werewolf."   
  
At this last part, Remus' breath caught. They could be seperated? He no longer would have to live with this other presence that caused so many problems in his life? Harry could be on the verge of a major brealthrough for people living with this curse. They could truly be free. The last true Marauder walked down to the Hospital Wing again, waiting for Harry to wake up to tell him he'd help with testing.  
  
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"Hey. You there?"  
  
"Yeah, near the stairs. Get under the cloak quick!"  
  
With slight muffled laughter, Harry watched as his friend tried to get under the Invisibility Cloak. His friend finally growled with frustration and said through clenched teeth," Quit moving!"  
  
"How did you know I was evading you?"  
  
His friend just chuckled, "You just told me!"  
  
"And you wonder why I named you Angel of Cunning?"  
  
The young man addressed ran his hand through his perfect hair. "As if anything else could personify me better?"  
  
Harry smirked. "Just shut up and get under it."  
  
Cunning scowled and traded spots with Harry. He opened the door, and the two stepped out onto the silent Hogwarts grounds. No noise was heard from anywhere as it was 3 in the morning, and Harry shivered slightly. He turned to his friend. "Are you ready? You sure you won't flip out or anything?"  
  
"It's okay," said a disembodied voice. "We need to get going if we're going to have any decent time to set this up."  
  
Harry nodded rather nervously, and focused on the image of the skeletal horse creature and changed. He felt a strong yet gentle hand stroke his soft mane softly before it hoisted itself onto the thestral's back. With a mighty kick to the ground, Harry and the invisible boy took off over the Forbidden Forest, going to the spot where they first met their true selves.  
  
And there the thestral landed. The misty clearing was the same as the night he confronted Lupin about Ron and Hermione's treachery with the babble of the brook the only backdrop of noise. The thestral turned its head to its back and a misty voice was heard saying," It's all right to get off now. No creatures come near this part of the forest anymore." He felt a shift of weight as the cloaked friend got off the bony back of the thestral. Harry transformed back, walking to a perfectly flat rock, feeling nervous about what he was going to do. The Angel of Cunning just pulled the cloak off, rolled up his sleeves, and laid his bare left arm on the stone. He smiled at his friend's nervous face.  
  
"It's all right Harry. I want to do this. This will prove myself to you that I am truly loyal. And that I'll always be a good friend."  
  
Harry smiled, pulling out his wand, and pointed it at the spot just above his wrist. A warm tingling sensation came over both boys as Harry began an ancient incantation he found in a book on magic from the east.   
  
"Zurui desu. Zurui no tenshi.   
  
Kare ni irezumi o tsuzuri taidesu.  
  
Yoi tomodachi. Yoi shin.  
  
Watashi ni kare o tsuzuri masu yo!"  
  
As Harry looked down at his friend's arm, he realized it had worked beautifully. Now against the boy's skin was a beautifully enchanting tattoo. The head of a black rose was nestled in the crook of a shining silver crescent moon while a perfect white feather was drifting to the right of the pair of objects. Both were entranced with it for a few minutes until Harry reached in his enchanted robe pocket and pulled out a white feathered quill and a small black leather book with a single feather drifting on the front. He opened the book to one of its first black pages and handed both to the newly tattooed friend. He smirked.  
  
"Thanks for the feather. I was needing a special quill for this."  
  
"No problem. Where's the ink?"  
  
"Remember what we use for ink in the first signing of our names to the book?"  
  
Harry's friend grimaced. "It won't scar, right?"  
  
"No," said Harry, looking at his own right hand. You could still lightly see 'I will not tell lies' on it. "It will hurt, but it won't scar.  
  
"All right.."  
  
The young man kept a straight face as he began writing on the page. The signing of the book, the two had decided, should be done in their own blood so it would form a magical pact. Harry could clearly see the elegant writing appearing on the back of his friend's hand as he wrote: "The Angel of Cunning, Zurui, has been tattoed and confirmed on this night of Monday, November 9, 1996. To this pact I, Draco Malfoy, swear to abide by."  
  
_____________________________________  
  
A/N: I'm sorry if you wanted me to continue or explain, but it seemed like a good stopping point, so all, or most, will be explained next chapter. Hopefully school won't pummel my muse as badly as it has these past 2 and a half weeks. hehe. 


	11. The Trouble with Confessions

A/N: I'm sorry for taking so long on this, school did pummel me some more. Man, junior year's gonna suck! *grumble* I'd also like to congratulate anyone who made it this far on having an open mind! I think I lose all my readers after Harry's escapades. I'm writing this for myself though, so whatever.  
  
Anyway, on with the show!  
  
Chapter 11: The Trouble with Confessions  
  
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Anywhere Harry went on Friday, everyone seemed to be wishing him luck for the upcoming Quidditch match taking place that next day. Everyone had been looking forward to seeing his Dark Flame in action, as it was supposed to have far surpassed the Firebolt in speed and agility if that was possible. He was just pleased to be kicking back in his room and looking over his incantation notes.  
  
"Hey, Harry," said a familiar voice behind him. Smirking from his position in front of the fire, he turned around to stare into the gray eyes of Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Hello, Draco, have a seat."  
  
"Thank you," said Draco, taking the seat. "So how have you been? Anything interesting going on in the world of the famous 'Harry Potter'?"  
  
Harry ruffled his hair and sighed," Not much, if you don't count the fact that every bloody student in this school has been asking why you and me are so buddy-buddy lately. I've even heard rumours that we're supposedly seeing eachother romantically. Isn't that ridiculous?"  
  
Draco blushed a bit at this last comment. "Really? Who started that rumour?"  
  
"No idea." Harry let out a little sigh that sounded like "ho" and then turned to Draco. "So, did you get the roses?"  
  
Draco pulled out his bag and brought two exquisite roses, one white and one black. He summoned a slender crystal vase onto the desk with water in it, and placed the flowers into it with an eloquent flourish. Harry laughed. Draco mock glared at him and headed off to the hidden door which would lead to the cobweb wall on the sixth floor. He needed to go do his homework that they had gotten in Charms.  
  
Harry called to his retreating figure. "Remember, 7:00 at the Room of Requirement tonight, okay?"  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
As Hermione and Ron walked down to dinner at about 6:45 that night, an unwelcome sight caught their attention. Harry and Draco walking toward the grand staircase and talking quietly between themselves. Nowadays, they didn't even bother to try and talk with him as it was useless. With each passing day, they grew more and more resentful toward him. To them, he not only gave up their deep friendship, but placed Malfoy's above it. Ron took Hermione's hand briskly in his own and walked into the Great Hall for a broody dinner.  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Shivering from nerves, Remus Lupin, escorted by Albus Dumbledore, walked into the Room of Requirement at the decided time. Harry and Draco, who had been practicing for the complicated movements and chants, looked up. Both were surprised to see Dumbledore there. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as though reading their emotions, which Harry remembered was quite possible, and responded.  
  
"Remus here told me of what was going to take place tonight, and I insisted I be there to supervise if only to help subdue the werewolf once it takes its own body."  
  
"No worries, Professor," said Harry cheerfully, getting over his surprise. "Once I get done with my half of the incantations, I will be able to control the werewolf quite well. Now, Professor Lupin, could you possibly make that stuffed wolf there look like you as a werewolf?" He pointed at a large grey wolf, mounted in a position so it looked poised to attack.  
  
Lupin, now physically shaking, changed it to resemble the thing that had been the source of nightmares ever since he was bitten. He looked into the creature's eyes. Was he sure he wanted to do this? After all, he thought, I have grown up with this creature inside me. I almost don't remember a time of not knowing it. If I did this, would I lose part of myself?  
  
'No,' a tiny voice answered, sounding confident. ' This beast has caused far more troubles than are worth counting. Because of it, you have never been able to lead a normal life, have a steady job, or ever settle down. You deserve a chance at a new life.'   
  
Lupin had only just realized he was being talked to and quickly came out of his self-reflection.  
  
"Professor?"  
  
"Sorry, Harry," he smiled warmly at him. "What were you saying?"  
  
Smirking (he noticed a bit ago he had picked this trait up off of Draco), he said," Professor, if you could just stand in that circle of white rose petals there next to the black ones, please."  
  
Draco then cast a simple levitating charm and placed the wolf down in the circle of black petals. Albus was standing next to the wall, wand out in case something should go wrong.  
  
Draco then addressed both parties. "Okay, we'll just give you a brief procedure of what will happen here so there won't be any surprises. Harry will begin the incantations and most likely you will see magical energy emenating from us, so don't be alarmed. The rose petals will come into affect and remain active until we detain the wolf. At this point, Harry will transform-"  
  
"Transform?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, Professor, I am an Animagus and take on a form more than capable of holding back the wolf."  
  
Harry said, looked at his friend. Lupin still didn't know who that white raven belonged to that brought Harry mail in the Hospital Wing. In truth, it was Draco. Draco was an Animagus as well, though as Lupin and Dumbledore didn't need that information, he omitted that part.  
  
"Well, I must say Harry that I am impressed, though I doubt you taught yourself." The headmaster's eyes sweeped over Remus, who flushed slightly.  
  
"Anyway," started Draco again, who seemed a tad irked that he had been interrupted,"after Harry transforms, I will finish off the transfer and the two entities shall take seperate bodies. Professor Lupin, I must say, as we have not had the opportunity to test it, we don't know if it will hurt or not. However, you may feel as if your mind and soul were being split two ways. When that feeling occurs, give in to it fully. Are you ready?"  
  
Putting on a confident smile, Remus nodded and smiled determinedly.  
  
"Harry, if you would get in position and begin please."  
  
"Alright, here we go."  
  
Harry closed his eyes and took on a look of complete and utter concentration and control in a matter of minutes. He opened his eyes, which glowed a flourescent onyx, as did the waves of magical energy coming off of him. So powerful was his aura that even Snape down in his dungeons felt it and looked up in wonderment at what was causing such a force.  
  
As Harry began to chant the incantation and his eyes became half-lidded, the white rose petals around Remus began to emit a soft sparkle, lightly swirling around his body as it moved upward in a spiral. Harry's incantations and wand movements became quicker and complex, and in time with him, the sparkle emitting from the pearly petals were now acting in a tight whirlwind and all that could be seen was a blinding white wall behind which Remus was waiting.  
  
Harry stopped quite abruptly, though energy still flowed from him and the shimmering wall remained steady. Draco took Harry's former position and gave him a small nod. Harry stood between the wolf and Professor Dumbledore and transfomed into the mighty thestral which snorted and stood ready for the wolf when it became animated.  
  
Draco began a new chant, and bright white waves of energy came off of him as he followed the same steps as Harry. As they watched, Remus suddenly felt a tug and pull, as though a part of him was trying to get somewhere else and gave into that. 'Yes,' he thought. 'Go to your new body. I've given you my life for far too long.'  
  
Through the white wall swirling around Lupin came a red spirit which then entered into the body of the wolf. Draco, upon seeing the transfer was complete, stopped the incantions and moved back toward Dumbledore with his wand out and aiming at the newly alive creature.  
  
The thestral Harry watched as the new creature began to get up and scan the room, as though wondering why it was here and not in Remus. It spotted Albus and Draco and moved to bite them. The thestral, seeing what was going to happen, let out a high screamlike screech and brought its hooves into the side of the werewolf, which sent it flying into the side of the stone room. It was knocked cold and ready to be shipped out of school.  
  
As the rose petals died out, Remus emerged from the circle and looked at the werewolf, then at Harry as he transformed back. Looking into Harry's eyes, he noticed they were still slightly black and foreboding.  
  
At this moment, Remus felt a rush of exhilaration as he looked back at his reflection in a mirror above Harry's head. What a change! His hair no longer had gray streaks in it and the worn face with dark shadows he knew so well was gone. A man he didn't know stood in front of him, and he couldn't be happier.  
  
"Thank you, Harry, and you too, Draco," said Remus, turning towards where they now stood next to Dumbledore. "I don't believe I could ever show enough thanks for what I now feel."  
  
Dumbledore, spotting the two students' exhaustion, replied,"They know, Remus. They know." With that said, he conjured a strong steel box and placed the werewolf's unconscious form into it. Sealing the lid tight, he added," Forgive me, Remus, but would you mind coming with me? We need to ship this fellow off to the werewolf preservation in Germany."  
  
Lupin nodded, and hugging Harry and Draco very quickly, he levitated the steel box and followed the headmaster out of the door.  
  
"Well, that was exhilarating," said Draco, turning to the still dark figure of Harry. "Are you alright? You don't look so well."   
  
He placed his hand on Harry's cheek; it felt like ice. That wasn't the only thing wrong. His cheek, though appearing smooth, had what felt like a gouge line across it. Tracing it with his finger, it went right over his right eye and connected with his lightning scar, making it feel like one long continuous scar. Coming out of his stupor, Harry quickly flinched away from Draco's touch.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Come Draco," Harry murmured, sitting down on a new couch the room provided. "Come and I'll tell you everything that happened this summer. Things the others don't even know. Things I myself have only found out about recently."  
  
They talked late into the night. Not only about Harry's experiences, but of Draco's similar ones. Draco, Harry learned, was brought up much the same way as Harry was with the Dursley's. The only reason they let him live was so the Malfoy line would continue. However, what Harry told Draco about the gouge on his cheek, how and why he got it, and what he had only found out recently, made Draco gasp.  
  
"Seriously? And the others don't know?" he said, as Harry finished his story.  
  
"Seriously. I think anyone in the Order who knew my parents know, but they've never said a word to me about it. I looked it up in the library archives when I got to school. Anyway, we should get to bed. We're facing eachother in that match tomorrow." He yawned widely with Draco flashing a quick look into Harry's mouth and paling slightly. "Come on."  
  
Harry and Draco walked out of the room and towards their dormitories. They had a big day tomorrow.  
  
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A/N: Don't worry everyone! We'll soon find out about the scar and what Harry told Draco soon enough, maybe next chapter. Oh, and I had to have Harry make that little "ho" sigh. That's what I do when talking about something I have no power over. Anyway, next chapter will be the Quidditch match, a Revealing potion, a package from a pen pal, and a mad Harry. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and keep reading! 


	12. The Trouble with Revealing Potions

A/N: Just to let you know, the scar Draco found in the last chapter is given full credit to Magami in a story called "Forgotten Youth" . It's a wonderful piece of work and highly encourage people to read it.  
  
And don't be mad about the Quidditch match; I don't think I would ever be able to actually write one!  
  
Chapter 12: The Trouble with Revealing Potions  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
"And Harry Potter has just caught the snitch, leaving the score 160 to 0 for Gryffindor! Gryffindor wins!" announced an enthusiastic Terry Boot. "Way to go, Harry!"  
  
Harry stepped off his Dark Flame to the ground and followed the Gryffindor team into the locker rooms. Ginny, one of the new Chasers, was the only person who was congratulating Harry. The rest of the team (Ron, Seamus, Dean, Dennis Creevey and Colin Creevey) just got changed and went up to the dormitory without a single word to their victorious Seeker. Ginny tried to start a conversation on the way to the tower.  
  
"So, Harry, are you and Draco really seeing eachother?"  
  
Harry continued down the hallway. "No, we became friends in light of similar circumstances. Who's spreading that rumour anyway?" he added, giving her a quizzical sideways glance.  
  
"Parvati and her twin."  
  
"Figures."  
  
Stopping just short of the Fat Lady's corridor, Ginny stopped and Harry turned around to look at her. She looked down nervously.  
  
"Harry, do you think I could hang out with you and Draco sometime?"  
  
Harry stuttered in surprise," Why?"  
  
"Well, there's a lot of animosity toward you in the tower and I defended you, so now no one talks to me anymore..."  
  
"Why did you defend me?"  
  
"Well," said Ginny,"I asked Ron a while back why the three of you weren't hanging out together anymore. He told me what happened that night, and I blew up on him. I told him off for invading someone's private memories like that knowingly. So now everyone's angry with me."  
  
Harry looked shocked. Someone actually saw his viewpoint besides Draco? She sacrificed her friends for me? He smiled warmly at her and said,"Thanks for doing that, Ginny. I'll make sure to ask Draco about it. I'm sure he'll say yes."  
  
Ginny smiled too. As she was about to step through the portrait, she said,"Thanks, Harry. And don't worry; everything will work out in the end the way it was meant to." And she stepped inside.  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
The rest of the weekend slipped by too quick for Harry's liking and soon enough, he found himself outside of his Healing Magic and Potions class. He met up with Draco outside the door and stepped in.  
  
There, where Madam Pomfrey should have sat, was Professor Snape.  
  
"Hello Potter, and you, Malfoy," he said in his cold sneer.  
  
"Professor," they said, nodding their heads in acknowlegment and sat in the front row next to a quiet Hermione and Ron. Harry and Draco glared at the two, and the two returned it.  
  
Snape watched in amusement. 'Perhaps Draco's making a positive influence on Potter,' he thought. When the rest of the class had arrived and were sitting quietly, Snape began.  
  
"Now, as this is a Healing Magic AND Potions class and Madam Pomfrey had an urgent matter to deal with in the greenhouses, I was called to substitute for this class. Today, we will be covering the Revealing Potion. This potion, when made properly, will deactivate Concealing Charms and Potions, along with Polyjuice and other select disguising magic. In healing, it is useful as you can find out complications the person may be hiding. You will be allowed to pick your own partners for this potion and at the end of class, one partner will be testing it. The effects of the potion will last until 3 months from now when any disguising magic can be redone." Tapping the board with his wand, a list of ingredients and instructions appeared. "Now, begin."  
  
Draco and Harry partnered up. Harry grabbed the ingredients while Draco set up the cauldron. The lesson dragged on, and they only conversed with ten mintues left.  
  
"Draco," started Harry, adding the last ingredient, scales of a Norwegian Ridgeback, to the cauldron.  
  
"Yes?" said Draco, checking that the potion had turned the shade of a crimson red.  
  
"I'll take the potion."  
  
At this, Draco dropped his book, which landed with a loud thump on the floor. After grabbing it, he murmured quickly in Harry's ear. "But you know what will happen! You know how this potion works to reveal the hidden! You know you will feel everything that happened to you as though it were happening all over again!" Harry looked at Draco, who's eyes were panicky and anxious.  
  
"I know," muttered Harry, a dead look coming over his own eyes. "But I won't allow you to drink it. Everyone here knows what happened to me, however, no one knows about you. I don't believe anyone needs to know what happened to you. I'm used to people talking about me anyway," he finished with a defeated sigh.  
  
"No," said Draco, his voice now only a quickened hush. Only Ron and Hermione, who were working right next to them, could hear this interesting conversation. "What if people find out about you? You know it's possible. If only they look the right way, and your eye-"  
  
"All right everyone!"announced Snape. "Ladel some of your potion into the provided goblets and the person who will be testing it come to the front of the room. Quickly now!"  
  
Draco couldn't get a word in edgewise. Before he knew it, Harry had scooped the bloodlike potion into the goblet and got in line next to Hermione. She looked shocked that he was going to reveal himself.  
  
Snape passed down the line, recording the results. The tester would show where something was hidden, take the potion, and it would reveal itself. Many people had pained faces as an old concealed cut was like new cut into their skin, showing the revealed scar.  
  
'The person who invented this potion must have been quite morbid to make them show up like that,' Harry muttered to himself.   
  
Before he knew it, he was the last to go and was looking at Snape.  
  
"Perhaps it would not be wise for you to do this, Potter," said Snape. Many people suddenly realized why Snape was saying that, remembered about the newspaper article 2 months ago, and they all focused hard on Harry. Harry looked at Draco, who was quietly begging to go instead. Harry sighed and shook his head, returning his gaze to Snape.  
  
"Professor, I will go. Just allow me to take off my shirt should I go into shock or something and you need to do CPR."  
  
"What? C-P-R?"  
  
"Nevermind." With that, Harry took off his robe, and shirt, setting them on the ground. If the situation hadn't been so serious, the girls would have giggled at the 'Sexiest Sixth Year' and the lovely view he was providing.  
  
'Yeah, let's see if they'll still call me that after this,' thought Harry viciously.  
  
Harry stood up and without a second thought, tipped his head back and took a gulp.  
  
The goblet fell to the ground, only half- drained. Harry began breathing quickly, shallowly, and clutched to the desk for support. His throat looked as though invisible hands were squeezing it, and he choked, some of the potion coming back up and dribbling down from the corners of his mouth as though it were blood. The hands seemed to let go, but in another instant, Harry was screaming just as the thestral had. The students and Snape watched in horror as a gouge went down Harry's face from his scar and ended at the bottom of his right cheek. His right eye was now milky white and bleeding profusely because whatever had caused it had never stopped from going over the eye in its rampage. Soon afterwards, Harry was on his knees and then on his back, convulsing as wave upon wave of injuries inflicted him, including the word 'FREAK' carved anew into his chest.   
  
After ten minutes, Harry lay on the floor, covered in escaped blood and showing his true appearance to the entire class. Draco, Hermione, and Ron dropped next to him, the rest of the class muttering in a circle around the body. Only Draco, Hermione, and Ron could see what lay just beyond Harry's lips. Just then Madam Pomfrey came thundering in followed by Snape and upon seeing Harry, she said "locomotor mortis" and rested Harry down on a hospital bed nearby. Hermione turned to Draco with a 'you're-going-to-explain-everything-later' look, and Draco, sobbing, just nodded glumly.   
  
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Harry was released the next day and spent the entire morning in the bathroom getting ready. Draco came to collect him in the morning for breakfast and warned him that he was the talk of the school.   
  
"Now Harry, don't get upset," said Draco, stopping on the staircase before the Great Hall," but Hermione may know your secret. You know which one."  
  
Harry said quickly, anger rising," You told her?! I can't believe-"  
  
Draco quickly cut in, so his friend couldn't get angrier. "No, no! I didn't tell her. When Hermione, Ron, and I knelt next to you after what happened, she noticed them. They were showing just under your lips. She's going to try and get information out of me soon, or she'll head straight to the library. I suggest you talk to her this morning."  
  
Harry sighed and rubbed at his now pure white right eye and the scar along his cheek. He'd have to live with his appearance for the next three months.  
  
"I wish Snape told us that the revealed spots would be so irritable... Hey, you think I should get an eye like Moody?"  
  
Draco gave him a 'don't-even-joke-like-that' look, and they continued down the stairs and through the doors to the Great Hall.  
  
Harry could instantly tell that the story of what happened to him had passed through the entire student body and staff and felt like he did 2 months ago after the article. Draco gave him a reassuring pat on the arm, and went off to the Slytherin table. Harry made his face indifferent and began walking between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables to where Hermione and Ron sat. He instantly realized that with his tied back, waist length hair, his black robes swaying behind him, and new face that he was apparently very intimidating. This irked him and he sneered so well at people who flinched away from him that Draco would have been proud.  
  
He came to sit next to Hermione, who looked shocked but not fully surprised at seeing Harry. He turned his good eye on Ron and Hermione and whispered so the blatantly eavesdropping students couldn't hear. "If you want to know, meet me in the archive section of the library today at three. Draco and I will be waiting."  
  
With this, he got a glass of fruit juice, passing up a solid breakfast. He didn't think his body could handle it today. He knew it was just going to be one of those days...  
  
The mail arrived quickly, and Harry found himself the recipient of a large wooden crate delivered by Black Ruby and three other ravens just like him. Before he even opened up the letter, everyone around him was pulling away from the box.  
  
"This crate smells like blood..." said Hermione, stealing a look at Harry, who's eyes were fixed and mouth smiling in an odd way, saw his nostrils flare slightly as though breathing in the scent. She saw his hand tear open the letter and read it, his smile getting ever madder as his one good eye went down the page. When he finished, he opened up the crate lid, looked inside, and put the crate lid back down again.  
  
Everyone was watching him, perfectly still. All of a sudden, he began to laugh. Not just any laugh. He laughed as a mad man would, shaking so violently he had trouble he stumbled as he ran toward the Entrance Hall and out of the building. Draco came over to the Gryffindor table where the crate sat innocently. He picked up the letter first and read, his face getting paler with every line. He handed it to Dumbledore who also read it with Professor McGonagall. When finished, Dumbledore turned to Snape and Snape read it also.  
  
"Did he tell anyone of his plans?" Albus asked quietly.  
  
"No, he didn't. There was nothing on for last night," said Snape, blanching as he set the letter down on the table. The only lines of it Hermione and Ron could see without looking obvious were 'heard about yesterday' , 'wanted some fun' , 'tortured for hours' , and 'hope you like the present' . What scared them most was they saw it was signed 'Lord Voldemort'.  
  
"Well, should we?" asked a faint-looking McGonagall, looking at the crate in disgust.  
  
Without a reply, Dumbledore slowly opened the lid.  
  
Inside sat the heads of Petunia and Vernon Dursley, soaking in their own blood.  
  
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A/N: Sorry for ending on such an odd note, but whatever. I've been planning the package ever since I thought up this story. Why wasn't Dudley's head in there and what is Harry going to tell Hermione in the library? Answers will hopefully be covered next chapter. Remember, reading is good for you,so keep reading my story!  
  
Hooked on crack  
  
Hooked on weed  
  
Hooked on phonics, still can't read. (What I said above about reading somehow reminded me of this saying of my friend's, who oddly enough doesn't smoke anything. ) 


	13. The Trouble with a Revealed Secret pt1

A/N: From Chapter 1 to chapter 8, I've probably lost 90% of my readers, and after last chapter, I probably just lost another 9%. Congratulations to the 1% of you who are reading this! hehe.  
  
On to the chapter!  
  
Chapter 13: The Trouble with a Revealed Secret pt 1  
  
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Blood.  
  
He could smell it close by.  
  
Closing in on the animal, his senses were going wild. He was a beast himself. A hungry beast.  
  
Oh, the need for blood was overwhelming.  
  
Biting into the creature, he could feel the veins pulsing rapidly. The animal struggled to get away from this creature sucking away its life.  
  
Oh, how he loved feeling the warm liquid glide over his tongue and feel the heart of the beast desperately beating its last beats.....  
  
'NO!!!' He ripped himself away from the animal, breathing rapidly.  
  
No! He hated it! Gods, what had he done?  
  
Turning away from the now lifeless creature in self disgust, he washed his face off in a nearby stream, removing the blood from the corners of his mouth and chin.  
  
It was too close of a call for his liking, he thought, turning back onto the path he had deviated from.  
  
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"Where do you think he is?"  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Draco were sitting in a private room in the library, a large archive room of Daily Prophets. No one ever went in here, so they knew they wouldn't be disturbed. Hermione and Ron were getting impatient, however. It was 3:30, and Harry still hadn't shown up. Draco turned after Hermione questioned him. He may have been looking at her, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.  
  
"He has his reasons if my hunch is correct."  
  
"And how would you know him so well, Malfoy?" Ron sneered, leaning over in his chair to glare at Draco. Draco glared right back.  
  
"Because in case you haven't noticed, I've been Harry's friend since you two betrayed his trust!" he snapped.  
  
It was a lucky thing Harry looked the way he did when he walked in precisely as Draco ended that statement, as it took the group's minds off of killing one another.  
  
Harry looked terrible. His face was flushed although underneath very pale. His eyes were wide and the emerald one sparkled in fear and seemed focused on something just outside their line of sight. Dark circles lay under his eyes. His hair was full of twigs and leaves, and his robes seemed as thought they had been snagged in several places.  
  
Hermione and Ron sat there astounded at Harry's appearance. Draco pulled a chair next to his own, got up and over to a shaking Harry, and helped him sit down. Draco already had a glass of some blue liquid in front of Harry and helped Harry keep a hold of it with his terribly trembling hands. Hermione and Ron watched that as Harry was finishing the potion, Draco was whispering some sort of spell to get the items out of Harry's hair and then to fix his friend's robes. All the while he was speaking softly to the shaken boy, who seemed to be relaxing quite a bit. Whether it was the potion, Draco's help, or both Hermione didn't know. After about ten minutes, Harry seemed composed enough to speak, though still quite pale and looking very faint.  
  
"I suppose you want to know why I called you here," he said to Ron and Hermione. Draco got up and placed a silencing charm on the group and a locking charm on the door. Obviously, this conversation was not to be overheard, thought the girl as she watched Draco sit back down.  
  
"I believe I might already know," said Hermione softly, meeting Harry's eyes with a penetrating stare.  
  
"I thought you would, Hermione," said Harry softly, while giving a small toothy grin. He thought he saw his friend's arm flit towards her heart involountarily. He could just see a vein it that arm. Beating and pulsing with the sweet red nectar....  
  
Harry gripped at his head, attempting to shake the thoughts clear. He was getting chills and becoming dizzy. Draco seemed to notice, and said to his friend," Why don't you go up to Madam Pomfrey's for a while? You know she'll be expecting to see you today. You're going to give out soon. Sure you can make it?"  
  
Harry nodded, giving his friend a sad look filled with regret, and turned to the other two Gryffindors in the room. "Listen, I'll let Draco fill you in, all right? I don't think I can be around people right now, and Pomfrey is expecting me. Perhaps, we could meet later... after the.... discussion?" He eyed Hermione fearfully. He was positive she knew.  
  
"Sure, Harry, go get some rest. We can meet tonight, okay?" said Hermione, understanding flowing through those eyes which had held coldness for him just yesterday.  
  
Harry nodded and turned to say something to Draco, but that was as far as he got. Hermione and Ron watched helplessly as their friend gripped the table for support, his eyes contracted in what seemed to be pain, hair sticking to his forehead from icy sweat. Draco grabbed a handkerchief from Harry's pocket and gave it to his friend, who was coughing violently. Draco saw Ron's eyes widen considerably when Harry began coughing up blood. The Slytherin knew Weasley wouldn't be of any help for the moment.  
  
"Granger," he said turning to her. "You need to run ahead of us to the Hospital Wing. Tell Pomfrey to expect Harry coming to her waning red. She'll know what it means."  
  
Before he could blink, Hermione had taken the locking charm off the door and was running out of the library. Draco turned to Ron.  
  
"Weasley, temporary truce until we get to the Hospital Wing. Can you perform a Weightlessness  
  
Charm?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Cast it on Harry so I can carry him up to Pomfrey," he said as he took Harry's violently coughing  
  
body into his arms.   
  
As soon as Ron cast the charm and Draco felt Harry become a feather in his arms, he took off following Hermione's route and took as many shortcuts as he knew of that would get them there faster. He arrived in the Hospital Wing and set Harry down on the bed Madam Pomfrey indicated in a private room as she went to grab some vials. Draco was worried; his friend was still coughing up blood which seemed to be increasing in volume. He'd never seen Harry cough up this much blood before, not even that time....  
  
Ron and Hermione watched as Pomfrey knocked Harry asleep with some sort of sleeping spell. Following what seemed to be like a routine, Draco crawled under Harry's back and supported his friend's shoulders and head while Pomfrey poured the vials one at a time down his throat. It seemed whatever they were, it seemed to stop Harry's coughing and made his tense mucles turn to putty. Draco took a wet cloth from a basin on the nightstand full of water when the matron left to tend to others and gently wiped Harry's face to leave coolness where there had only been blood and sweat. Hermione and Ron sat down in chairs next to Harry's bed, where Draco let out a small sigh and turned a weak smile on them.  
  
"You know," said Hermione quietly, looking at Harry though speaking to Draco,"I now truly believe that you are Harry's friend."  
  
Draco shook his tired head and sighed, trying to put on his normal sneering mask but failing miserably. "It certainly took you long enough."  
  
Hermione, for some odd reason, smiled. Draco had no idea why. Why would she be smiling at someone that had never spoken a kind word to her?  
  
"For the longest time," started Hermione," I thought it was all some sort of trick. I mean, you and Harry friends? I was sure you had altered his mind, or that Voldemort had through the post. Maybe you were doing it to intentionally hurt Harry after you had gained his trust and shatter him. I spent so many nights telling myself these were the reasons you two were friends.  
  
I was so angry when it seemed I was going to be proven wrong. That you two were friends of your own accord. I then thought Harry's friendship with us had meant nothing if he was willing to go off and befriend you of all people. But today, you two have proven me wrong. You two need eachother as friends. You've given Harry the help he needed when we weren't at his side, and he gave you something I doubt you've ever had before."  
  
Draco, who was looking at a shifting Harry, said," What? What has he given me?"  
  
"A true friend who would give his life for you without a second thought. Somehow, I expect you've never had that kind of friend before."  
  
Draco looked at the wall opposite the bed. It was true. He never had had a friend like that before. How had he not realized it until now? He looked down at Harry, who was snuggling the pillow on Draco's lap like a small child and wrapped his arms around Draco's thighs. Hermione and Ron were looking at him.  
  
Trying to lighten the charged mood, he suddenly looked around and at Harry and said," Well, it looks like I'm stuck. Um, do either of you happen to have some sort of tool to pry him off with?"  
  
Both Hermione and, surprisingly, Ron laughed while they watched Draco, face contorted with concentration, as he tried without success to pry the sleeping Harry off of him.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
When Harry woke up a few hours later, he was panicked for a few moments trying to figure out where he was. However, after fully waking up, he realized where he was. This was his private room in the Hospital Wing. He also noticed four people sitting around his bed. One began speaking in a kind and tired voice.  
  
"Well, Little Prongs, you seem to have had quite an interesting morning. Draco has told me that you have figured out the secret, and I'm sorry that I had not told you earlier. Everyone expected it to kick in when you left school. You should have told me."  
  
Harry looked into Lupin's new face and around to the other faces. Draco was sleeping in his chair next to Lupin's and on the other side of his bed were Hermione and Ron. Harry let out his little "ho" sigh, and decided to tell the people in this room his story, as they deserved to know, and he didn't know when the next time he had the courage to would come around.  
  
"Well, it had started back as far as I can remember. Little accurances every once in a while. No one ever noticed, not even when I came to Hogwarts. A little cut her, a little cut there, it kept me satisfied. I never thought it was odd to like blood. I thought it was just something that happened because it was the only thing I could drink when locked in that closet for days. For some reason, it comforted me at school. I always waited until everyone in the dormitory was asleep before I did it."  
  
He paused as Draco was beginning to wake up, and so he could get a glass of some liquid from the bedside table. He took a little sip to wet his dry mouth and continued his story looking at Draco. He didn't want to look at the others faces right now. Draco was the only one that understood. Understood only too well.  
  
"Well, as the years went by, I started having to do it more often. Before it was only once about every three months. By fifth year, however, I knew something was starting to turn wrong. I found myself cutting more often with Sirius' gift blade and taking more blood than I used to, which often left me ill. When I would stop and refuse to give in to my mind's requests for it, I would become snappish and angry."  
  
"So that why you were like that last year," said Hermione. Harry nodded, closing his eyes now. Draco knew how hard the next few parts were going to be.  
  
"When I got back from school to the Dursley's last summer, I had no way of venting myself. Sirius' knife had been destroyed in the Department of Magical Mysteries, and the Dursley's would have noticed blood stains if I had been cutting and drinking. I was beginning to lose the fight against myself; I could feel my conscious self slipping away, so I began to spend more time in my room. I began to limit myself to time spent with other living creatures. I told Hedwig if I ever came toward her during the night, to go to Grimmauld Place. I couldn't afford biting her.  
  
"The amazing part was, it had only been a week into the holidays. I knew I was getting worse if I couldn't even go that long anymore. I never wanted to worry the Order, however. That's why I never told anyone in my letters.  
  
"I remember the night of the incident. It had been a very bright full moon that evening on Monday, hadn't it, Moony?"  
  
Remus, who had been listening so raptly, was startled out of his concentration. He did remember that night. It had been very bright and he knew Dark creatures everywhere were feeling it. He remembered the wolf inside him on that night had almost killed him.  
  
Harry continued, with a dead and defeated look in his eyes, and fingered the scar along his face softly. "That night, my battle was furious. My conscious and subconscious were going at it while I softly and silently walked into the hallway outside my room. I could smell blood coming from the room next to mine, and it gave power to the creature of my subconscious. I remember walking silently into Dudley's room, praying to the creature not to do it. But he knew we both needed the blood. We had become weaker and weaker without it; I was surprised I had walked the few yards to Dudley's room, actually. I walked to the side of Dudley's bed; he was laying on his back and was wide awake watching me. He had heard me coming in. He asked me what I was doing in his room. I bit straight into his neck. I don't remember much but his initial scream. By the time my aunt and uncle had woken up and gotten to his room, I had already claimed my first victim."  
  
Harry hung his head. Draco took Harry's cleaned handkerchief and began drying his face. Harry barely acknowledged he had been crying. He took the cloth from Draco and looked up. Draco was giving him a comforting smile, Remus had begun muttering to himself. He gulped and looked to the other side of his bed. Ron's eyes were wide and staring, and Hermione.. . was crying into her hands. Harry sighed, crawling on the bed to sit in front of Hermione's chair, only just noticeably flinching when Ron pulled back.   
  
Hermione was shocked when she felt gentle hands removing her own from her face and felt something dabbing her tears away. Looking up, she saw it was Harry. She let out a sob and pulled him into a hug that would have put Mrs Weasley to shame. Harry hadn't been expecting this, and hugged her back awkwardly.  
  
"Hermione, you need to let go while I still have the will to tell my story," Harry whispered in her ear. She nodded and let him go, and he returned to sitting at the head of the feather bed.  
  
"Well, needless to say, my realtives didn't take too kindly to this, and my other side tried to fight against the angry man now strangling me. He shouted at Petunia to get something while he gripped my neck even harder, causing me to cough and a little of my cousin's blood to run down the corners of my mouth. I suddenly felt an excrutiating pain on my face as my uncle had let go of me and had taken what Petunia had been sent to receive: a cross from their bedroom. Well, since my other half was still controlling me, the cross burned both of us as my uncle dragged it down my face from the tip of my scar to here," he said, indicating the scar on his face. He pointed to his eye and added," My uncle never stopped and dragged it over my eye. He managed to carve 'FREAK' into my chest before my consciousness was able to take control again. The rest is what you already know. My relatives beat me continually, tortured me, and locked Hedwig and I in the closet. Hedwig died after a week, but I never took her blood. I only survived because I took it from the open wounds I had and because of the link with Voldemort. I took some of his life force like on Halloween night."  
  
"How did you survive at Grimmauld Place after we took you, though?" asked Lupin, looking at Harry. "You seemed to get a little better there."  
  
"It was because of me," said a new voice, startling all of them. Madam Pomfrey had just stepped into the room.  
  
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A/N: It was getting just a bit too long for me, so I decided to cut it off here. Well, now that we know what Harry is ( and in case you don't, the actual term will be used next chapter), how will everyone react? And how did Pomfrey help him? And how did Harry and Draco become friends anyway? How did Draco "understand only too well" what Harry was going through? All this to be answered next chapter. This story has just taken a twist!   
  
(September 18- 20)  
  
"You know, you're not the first person to tell me I'm one of those people who will eventually snap and pull a Columbine...." - Me (Just because I'm quiet and a bit eccentric, I've been told that   
  
at least 12 times. It is rather irksome.)  
  
Review responses:  
  
KazenoYama: Yes, I know, ice cream. I'll just get you a carton of that for Christmas, okay, and you can have all the fun you want with it, you schmuck!  
  
Magami: Wow, what an honor! Thanks so much for reviewing! It means a lot, and I'll try to update as much as possible. I like to get at least one chapter ahead when time allows. Thanks!  
  
Wow! I got my first flame! You know the funny part? They said that the slash in this story was disgusting! I'm thinking,"Wait, I didn't put any in my story..." Whatever, it provided me with five minutes of amusement anyway. 


	14. The Trouble with a Revealed Secret pt2

A/N: This is the second part of Harry's confessions. Let's cut to the chase!  
  
Chapter 14: The Trouble with a Revealed Secret pt 2  
  
-----------------------------------------  
  
"What?" exclaimed Ron, Hermione, and Lupin at the same time, staring at the matron who just brought in Harry's cleaned clothes.  
  
"Well," she said, ushering all of them over to a couch and pulling screens around Harry so he could change,"I found out about it the night of his birthday. After all of you left the room, he spilled out the whole story, thinking I could help him with his problem, which I could. He told me he often got sick if he had more than a cup at a time, but he knew he needed more than that to survive. I told him that once he got back to Hogwarts, he could brew a potion that would have his stomach digest the substance rather than reject it. All he needed to do was take it before he drank any blood."  
  
"But he didn't bite anyone at the house," said Hermione, turning to Harry coming from behind the curtains dressed in his normal robes. "How did you survive?"  
  
"Madam Pomfrey gave me blood from stores mixed in with the medicinal potions so no one would notice. I had sworn her to secrecy and I still won't let her tell the staff or headmaster. It would be a violation of a patient's privacy to divulge confidential things," said Harry casually. He looked much better now than he had earlier.   
  
"So you've been living off blood stores ever since you got back to Hogwarts? What about earlier today? Why didn't you go to Madam Pomfrey?" asked Hermione. Ron was still stunned to silence by all of this information.  
  
"The unexpected smell of blood this morning caught me off guard and allowed my carefully controlled other self to surface. If I hadn't left the building immediately, I knew I was going to bite someone. Unfortunately for the first creature I saw in the forest, he didn't know that. I almost never lose control like that anymore. And no," he said, walking over to an empty seat on another couch occupied by Draco," I haven't been living off the blood stores at school."  
  
"Then how have you been surviving if you need blood?" asked Lupin.   
  
"Madam Pomfrey supervises me while I draw blood every other day in this room."  
  
"But from what or .... or who?" Lupin added, suspiciously.  
  
At this, Draco rolled down the turtle neck he had been wearing. Two bite marks sat there, prominent in the brightly lit room. Everyone but the matron, Harry, and Draco gasped. Ron looked about ready to faint. Draco pulled his turtleneck back up, hiding the bite.  
  
"It's all perfectly safe," said Draco. "Madam Pomfrey supervises the whole time. Harry and I meet here every other night at 7:00 and draws what he needs after taking his potion. It usually only takes a few minutes, and I'm then given a blood replenishing potion. Harry walks me down to the Slytherin dormitories and stays for about half an hour to make sure I'm okay, and we split ways. It really isn't bad at all once you get past the initial puncture; it's quite an odd sensation. He had taken blood from me during our friendship for quite a while until last Friday when he told me about his cousin; I was a bit nervous at first, but I realized today it didn't matter. He's perfectly safe and under control if it's scheduled."  
  
"I had hoped it wouldn't be passed down from Lily," said Lupin, which brought the whole room to silence. Remus looked to the entire room and continued,"On Halloween night just over 17 years ago, she had been bitten and turned by a vampire Deatheater in Voldemort's service by the name of Cicila Sachol, leader of The Cicila Sachol Clan of vampires. The plan was that Lily would finish off James and be taken under Voldemort as a servant of darkness. However, nothing of the sort happened. While Lily did indeed bite James, she had enough willpower to stop when he pleaded with her to. That night was the night Harry was conceived."  
  
The ex-werewolf paused to take a drink of water and said,"We had all hoped that the trait wouldn't be passed onto Harry, but vampire genes are always very powerful and unpredctable and Harry ended up one-fourth human and three parts vampire. A combination of genes like this had never been seen like this before and is part of why Harry is so powerful. Lord Voldemort heard of this and planned the attack on Godric's Hollow carefully. When he attacked, he easily defeated James and went after Harry, hoping to raise him to be his heir."  
  
Collective gasps had gone throughout the room, including Harry's own. While he had looked up the reported incident of Lily in the Daily Prophet archive of the library, he never knew he was meant to be the Dark Lord's heir. He put his reasoning to the test and said," So the reason he was hesitant to kill my mother was because she was a powerful vampire with powerful magic and would make many powerful heirs for him."  
  
"Yes," said Remus. "It feels good to be able to finally tell you, even if it could have been under better circumstances. I only hope you won't be too angry with us, the Order, for holding you from your proper lineage. I need to make it up to you. Draco, would you like a break from Harry next time he feeds?"  
  
"No, Professor, you don't need to," started Draco-  
  
"Call me Remus, alright? All of you can call me Remus outside of class. 'Professor' makes me feel old. It's fine Draco. I'll fill in for you next time. When is it, Harry?"  
  
Harry stared dumbstruck for a minute before giving a warm, toothy smile he rarely gave anymore as it clearly showed a pair of sharp fangs. "Day after tomorrow. Thanks, Remus, I'm sure Draco will be pleased at not having a bite with me on Thursday."  
  
"So, Harry," said Ron. This was the first time Ron had spoken the entire time and everyone turned to focus on him. "Are you still our Harry? My best mate?"  
  
"Yes, I'm still Harry. I might look a little different and have a rather skewed diet, but I'm still just Harry."  
  
As he parted ways with Draco and Remus at the corridor outside the Hospital Wing and was walking back to the tower with Ron and Hermione, he was brought out of his thoughts by Hermione.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Yeah?" he said, turning to look at her.  
  
"Could I come with you on Monday when you meet Remus?"  
  
"Sure, if you honestly want to. Starting on that vampire essay we were assigned last week by Remus in DADA and want a first-hand view? I'd only be too happy to help you two with it. I might not be a full vampire, but I'm still enough of one to know. Remember Remus' face when I turned it in the same class period we got it?"  
  
Ron grinned for the first time that day and laughed with Harry. "He was so shocked, he didn't blink for five whole minutes. I mean, who finishes a three-foot essay on 'The Moral Issues Everyday Vampires Face' in forty minutes? Hermione was fuming at you for beating her in turning in an essay!"  
  
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Wednesday blew by headlong into Thursday and Harry found himself sitting down next to Hermione and Ron in Charms after they all had breakfast. Well, they had breakfast, he just sat and watched.   
  
Professor Cal asked Harry if everything was okay as Harry had never returned for classes on Tuesday, having spent the morning in the forest. Harry assured Cal and a just- as- anxious Mr. Kiss Kiss that he was fine. The class was then spent working on an Illusion charm meant to cause confusion in an opponent and give you time to work out a strategy. The three of them, with so much practice in any practical part of magic, mastered it quickly and Harry spent the rest of the time helping with Ron and Hermione's essays for DADA. He knew they were going to get a perfect score on it.  
  
Care of Magical Creatures came after lunch and they spent the entire lesson on the giant squid, which they learned had the ability to vanish which was why Muggles could never find them alive. Hagrid reminded them at the end of the lesson that they should be thinking about which creature they would be studying in class and independently second term.  
  
"So what do you think you'll do for your creature?" asked Harry, turning to his Slytherin friend, as they slowly walked back up to the castle.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps Winged Horses. They've always caught my fancy. What will you study?"  
  
Harry looked deep in thought and replied,"No idea. At the beginning of the year, I was leaning towards a hippogriff, but that was just because I wanted one for traveling after Hogwarts. Thestrals can fly so much faster, though. I'll just play it by ear and see what comes to me by the time second term rolls around."  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
At 6:50 that night, Harry, Hermione, and a convinced Ron headed down to the Hospital Wing. Just before turning into the corridor that housed the entrance, Harry stopped them.   
  
"What is it?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry backtracked to a wallhanging of a thestral prancing about a meadow in the night. Upon seeing Harry, it stopped. Harry began to speak to it.  
  
"I, Fallen Angel, master of thestrals, seek the path behind yourself."  
  
To their amazement, the thestral bowed its dragonish head and allowed them access to a path behind its hanging. When they stepped out into the new light, they were in Harry's private room at the Hospital Wing. On the couch sat Draco and Remus, who looked up in surprise at their entrance.  
  
"Madam Pomfrey told me there was an alternate path to this room. I figured it was probably better than all of us walking into the Hospital Wing where prying eyes may see," explained Harry, guiding Hermione and Ron to a couch opposite Remus and Draco. The three could hear Draco telling Remus what to expect and how to relax so the blood would flow better and quicker.  
  
At precisely 7:00, Madam Pomfrey came in and sat down after giving Harry a vile with a metallic black liquid in it.   
  
"Well, go on then, I can't afford to make my patients suspicious as to where I've gone," she said briskly.  
  
Harry turned to Remus. "Are you sure you want to do this? You really don't have to."  
  
Remus just smiled at Harry and removed his high-collared robes, revealing a blue T-shirt and black jeans. That was his way of saying that he was going ahead with it. Harry sighed and said,"If you feel faint, just tell me. I'll try to make it easy as I'm afraid we can't use a pain-numbing potion as it would be absorbed into your blood and would neutralize my potion for my stomach." Remus nodded.  
  
Harry unbottled the metallic potion and swigged it down in three gulps. He then began approaching Remus slowly, keeping himself under control. Hermione and Ron watched, entranced, as Harry tilted Remus' head back with the lightest touch of his fingers, exposing his neck. Harry lowered himself down the Marauder's neck, finding the perfect spot in one of the veins that ran through it, and bit quickly, causing Remus to take in a sharp gasp.  
  
'Draco was right,' thought Remus,'it is an odd sensation.' He felt the strong pull through his body from his neck, and an almost dreamlike state fall upon him. It was a mix between euphoria and intense pain. He felt Harry's magical energy flow through him as he held on to his control, and he marveled at what an odd feeling it was. Before he knew it, he felt Harry release his neck and slowly came out of his daze. Ron and Hermione looked awestruck, Harry looked deep in thought, and Draco was watching Harry amusedly as Harry licked his lips and swished his mouth as though sampling a wine. Madam Pomfrey stopped the bleeding, handed Remus a vial of blood replenishing potion, wished them all good night, and left for her other patients.  
  
He looked around at Draco when Harry finally swallowed his last mouthful of Remus' blood. Draco smirked and asked Harry," So what does he taste like, Harry?"  
  
"You mean you can taste differences?" asked Ron, amazed, as he watched Harry.  
  
"Yeah," said Harry, swallowing. "Everyone has their own unique flavour underneath what people normally taste, it seems. I taste like a dark chocolate, and Draco tastes like sugar. As Draco, under his parents, had taken a wine tasting course, he can also pick out these subtleties. What do you think on Remus, Draco?" said Harry, pulling out a small goblet none of the others had seen and held it out to Draco. Draco took a small sip from the glass and shuddered; he didn't like the taste of blood, but he liked the challenge of finding the hidden flavour.   
  
"Something sweet... It tastes like vanilla extract." regarded Draco, handing the glass back to Harry who took another sip as to verify his tastes again. Hermione and Ron thought that this was the oddest scene they had ever seen in their lives. Here was Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy talking cordially and discussing the taste of their teacher's blood. Yep, definitely odd.   
  
"Yes, I think you hit it on the button, Draco," said Harry, turning to Remus for the first time in this entire conversation. He smiled and said," Congratulations, Remus Lupin, your blood has just been tested and certified as tasting like vanilla extract by the living-impaired and his evil croney! How do you feel? The world wants to know!" exclaimed Harry in his best impersonation of a reporter and shoved a pretend microphone under Remus' nose. The entire room burst into laughter.  
  
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A/N: Wow. No cliffie and it ends on a happy, if slightly twisted note. This is a moment for history! Thanks to all four of you who have reviewed and only half-thank you's to the people who read but don't review. Oh well, not going to cry over spilt blood. And now for the quote of the chapter:  
  
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."- Albert Einstein  
  
Wow. Deep.  
  
(September 20-20) 


	15. The Trouble with Howlers

A/N: Just to let you know, I'm skipping ahead to the Winter Holidays.   
  
P.S.- From now on, when Harry takes the potion that digests the blood, it's referred to as "the metallic potion". It makes writing much easier. On with the fic!  
  
Chapter 15: The Trouble with Howlers  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Harry sat, yawning, on a bleary Sunday afternoon. It was now the beginning of the winter holidays, which meant that more than three-fourths of the school had left on Friday. The only thing that made him anxious about it was that all his friends, Draco, Hermione, and Ron, had left for the vacation.   
  
He remembered Draco's concern for him up until he left. "I wish I could stay, but mother has sent an owl requiring me to be home for the Yules. I think if I asked her if you could come over, though, she would be okay with it. Would you want to? After all, I don't think Malfoy etiquette would look highly upon killing a guest. She'd leave that for Voldemort. But would he really do it now, with you guys being closer? Would he really murder you?"  
  
And this was the question Harry had been pondering for the past few days since his friend had left. Harry eventually said yes to Draco's invite, but said that if he were to go, to give him a week so he could brew extra potions of the blood digestor and the blood replenisher. The thing that filled him with apprehension was how to get the ingredients and recipe for the blood replenisher. He decided to go see Professor Cal about getting into the Restricted Section to get its recipe. They had been on very good terms ever since Harry had met the guy, after all. With that, he got up from his silver sofa and headed for the secret passageway out of his rooms.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Harry found himself in the Restricted Section after Madam Pince said Professor Cal's note passed inspection. As he pulled down heavy tomes and leafed through their index, he marveled at how easy getting the note had been. He hadn't even got past the name of the potion when the happy man had pulled out a long green quill and passed him the signed paper. 'Aahh, here it is,' thought Harry, and setting the book down on an available table, he began copying down the instructions.   
  
The boy who lived had always remembered getting chills when heading towards the dungeons, getting that omenous feeling that told him nothing pleasant awaited him down in the dark depths. Now as he descended the stairs towards his old potions professor's office, he realized the only way he got chills was because of the frigid air, and even that wasn't as bad as it used to be. He thought it must have to do with his recent sprouts of the supernatural kind. At this thought, he winced. Tonight he'd have to go to the forest to feed if he wanted to not be biting anyone tomorrow.  
  
Knocking on the office door, he heard a sneering voice command,"Enter!" As he walked into the room, he smirked as Professor Snape realized who it was.  
  
"What are you doing here, Potter? Surely one of your little friends could take you back to their hovels rather than leave you here all alone?" The professor was giving his ex-student the trademark sneer, but that wouldn't work on Harry anymore.  
  
Harry instead replied nonchalantly," Well, Professor," and at this he did a little mock bow, smirking and watching a furious Snape all the while,"Draco has invited me over to his house for the holidays. He's just checking with his mother. To get straight onto the point of why I have left my perfectly cozy rooms for your cold and miserable one, I need ingredients for a Blood Replenishing Potion."  
  
Snape had never once been so formally and cynically talked to like that from a student before, least of all Harry Potter. To Harry's immense enjoyment, Snape actually gave a small visible smirk. He then asked,"And why do you need to brew one yourself? Surely Madam Pomfrey has some; I have been having to make many for her lately." He slightly frowned and looked Harry over again.  
  
Not showing any sign of noticing this, Harry put on his mask of indifference and said,"They've been for me. I seem to be having many accidents lately, and my system hasn't been producing clotting agents efficiently since the summer. Since I'm planning to go to Draco's, I need to be able to take some with me and not deplete her stock. Surely you can see the logic in that?"  
  
"Why you are going to stay at a known death eater's house I do not know, even if you have been friendly with Draco as of late. However, I do see your logic and will give you enough ingredients to brew 7 doses. If you have that many accidents over a two-week period, you are truly hopeless, Potter." And with that, he went into his store cupboard for the rare ingredients; Harry remained resolutely standing.  
  
As Harry was about to pick up the cauldron with ingredients inside to leave, Snape grabbed his hand. He looked shocked at how they felt like ice, but put his mask back on and quietly spoke,"I must warn you, Potter, about going to the Mafoy's for the time being. Lord Voldemort has been very silent about any plans he has for the next few months. He could be waiting to kill you the moment you enter the manor."  
  
At this, Harry gave a smile, but still keeping his noticeable fangs hidden. He said with a cheery if slightly twisted note," I don't think he'd enjoy having a bite with me anytime soon, Professor!" And the haughty boy left Snape standing behind his desk with a calculating look.  
  
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Harry was trying to get outside as fast as he could, trying to get to the forest before anyone could catch a glimpse of him in this wild and frantic state. He would have flown out the window as a thestral, but he couldn't trust himself in that powerful creature's form; it could do more damage if he lost it.  
  
'Two floors to go,' he thought, slightly panting at a full run from the tower to the third floor. He turned corridors and flew past classrooms, so fast that Peeves got caught in his slipstream and was pulled for twenty feet, cursing all the while. Unfortunately as he reached the top of the marble staricase that would take him to the entrance hall, he had been spotted. Spotted by none other than Ginny Weasley. But Harry didn't have time for her now. He only had minutes to get to that forest.  
  
"Hello, Harry," she said, smiling," how have you been? You've seemed awfully busy lately." She frowned slightly at Harry's appearance, which caused him to pull his cloak's hood up. "Are you ill? You're very pale. My god, Harry! Your hands are like ice!"   
  
She began to rub his hands, trying to warm them up, suggesting she take him to the Hospital Wing. He took his hands forcefully away, so Ginny had trouble catching her balance for a few moments. She looked frightfully at Harry, who had hidden all but his mouth with the hood of a heavy crimson cloak with silver fastenings. Her eyes slightly widened as Harry said in a sombre and chilling voice,"Run, now, or you may not see tomorrow."  
  
Harry didn't have time to feel guilty about scaring Ginny half to death as he took off suddenly again, racing throught the heavy oak doors and sprinting onto the grounds. Once in the heart of the forest, he slowed to steady his breathing and concentrated on finding an animal. He caught the scent of a large buck in a nearby clearing and moved like a shadow after it.  
  
Something had been on his nerves since entering the forest, he thought, washing off his face, and drinking down the metallic potion so he wouldn't need to go to the infirmary tonight. He seemed to sense something following him ever since he stopped to breath. However, he couldn't hear anything that could be mortal. His only thought was that he might be being tracked by another supernatural creature. Another vampire. And he knew if they were to attack him, he would easily be overpowered by a full vampire's strength and tenacity. He couldn't afford to be attacked now that someone knew he was out on the grounds. After gathering up the crimson cloak and fastening it to keep out the chill night air, he headed quickly towards the school, intending to apologize to Ginny.  
  
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At breakfast the next morning, Harry sat across from Ginny, who looked abashed whenever he looked at her. Harry thought that he really should trust Ginny more, as she was going to be with Draco and him often now that he didn't have so much going on. He decided he was going to tell her. Somehow Harry knew she would keep it a secret. He cleared his throat slightly, and took her hands.  
  
"Ginny, I have something important I need to tell you in private today. It would greatly help with the explanation of last night if you would hear me out. I'll meet you after lunch and we can go to my private chambres to discuss it. Will you trust me?" he asked.  
  
Ginny looked up with a small smile and whispered,"You've always been like a brother to me Harry. While you did scare me last night, I will trust you and hear what you have to say. I feel so bad about owling Ron last night now."  
  
"You WHAT?!" Harry was panicking now. Ginny could see it in his one still emerald eye. She seemed to realize what she had done and looked thoroughly embarassed. Owling Ron telling him that Harry just scared the hell out of her would ignite his Weasley temper, and with Ron's lack of judgment and tact, who knew what he would do.  
  
As this mini drama ended with both pale and silent, the mail arrived. A large eagle owl Harry recognized as Draco's came swooping down in front of him and dropped the letter and small bag right into Harry's empty place setting. Realizing it was the response about his holiday plans, he ripped open the letter and read:  
  
Dear Harry,   
  
Mother said you could come over for the next two weeks! She actually seemed rather happy about it that I would be bringing company with me. Have you brewed your potions yet? Well, when you want to come over, just Floo over with the powder I sent you. The name is Draco's Room, Malfoy Manor. I'll keep a fire lit round the clock for you.  
  
On another note, I have some interesting news for you. My father's Deatheater friends who weren't captured at the end of last year are planning to break him out sometime over the holidays. We already sent an anonymous tip off to the Ministry, but... ah well. Just have to see how it goes, right?  
  
I'll be waiting for you. If I'm not in my room, just call for a house elf; they'll find me.  
  
  
  
Sincere regards,  
  
Draco  
  
"I can go visit Draco over the Yules! This is great!" exclaimed Harry, giving a lopsided smile. Nothing could spoil his mood now, not even Ginny's look of horror. Wait a minute, what was this red thing...?  
  
"Oh, shit," said Harry.   
  
Ron had sent a Howler, and it was about to go off. He hadn't noticed it with his other letter. He grabbed Draco's letter, the bag of Floo powder, and the Howler and swiftly ran out of the Great Hall, with every eye of the remaining student body and staff on him. Unfortunately for him, he only made it to the Entrance Hall before it went off, and he knew everyone in the other room would hear it. He braced himself for the worst as Ron's voice burst forth.  
  
"I THOUGHT YOU HAD TURNED YOURSELF AROUND, HARRY! WHERE DO GET OFF SCARING MY LITTLE SISTER, HUH? YOU'RE FILTH JUST AS YOUR LITTLE FRIEND MALFOY IS! AND DON'T THINK YOU CAN SCARE ME OFF SO EASILY! WHEN I SEE YOU BACK AT SCHOOL, I'M KICKING YOUR ASS, THREE-FOURTHS VAMPIRE OR NOT!"  
  
And the Howler reduced to ashes, and Harry was left wishing he could be reduced to a cinder right now.   
  
He hadn't wanted people to find out like this. Now everyone in that room knew, and by the end of the first day when classes started again, the entire school would know. The Daily Prophet was going to find out...   
  
'Oh Gods, Ron, what have you done?' he thought. He felt a great pressure in his head, and clamped his hands to the sides of his head, willing it to go away.   
  
Students were slowly filtering out of the Great Hall to look at him, stare at him, point at him....  
  
"Please, please stop, please..." He was begging with the students and had slipped to sit on the floor, legs collapsed under him.   
  
By now, the Professors had managed to get throught the students. He thought he saw Professors McGonagall and Sprout along with Hagrid chastising the students and sending them to their dormitories, and he was vaguely aware of being half-dragged, half marched by two strong sets of hands on either side, Dumbledore leading him toward the headmaster's office. Harry knew he would never make it under his own will, so he let them continue carrying his weight. He knew he'd have to explain everything in that office and was dreading evermore with each step toward the stone gargoyle.  
  
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A/N: Uh oh. Harry's in trouble now! With the resulting conversation, will he still be able to go to   
  
Draco's? Stay put; the action is all here!  
  
"If you both don't shut up, I'm going to get in in my fiery chariot of Hell, and burn both of you to a CINDER!" - Me... Don't look at me so oddly. Two of my friends had gotten in one of those wierd arguments where you start to run the other one over in your car, which steadily escalated for 10 minutes and I couldn't concentrate on The Vampire Lestat. That's when I said that, so I had perfect reasons for it.   
  
(October 21-23, 2003) 


	16. The Trouble with Sneaking Out Or Lack Th...

A/N: Onto chapter 16!  
  
Chapter 16: The Trouble with Sneaking Out (or Lack Thereof)  
  
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Upon reaching the headmaster's office, he was plopped in a chair by the two that had supported him. They now began to speak to Dumbledore, and Harry vaguely realized it had been Professors Lupin and Cal. Taking a wide, unfocused gaze at the room, he noticed all the teachers were now whispering anxiously around the room, casting gazes in Harry's direction every now and then. He felt like he had just died down there on that floor and didn't really care what happened right now in this lit office full of sun.  
  
"Harry, would you care to explain what has been going on that you have kept a secret for so long?" asked Dumbledore, resting his chin on his steepled fingers.  
  
At this, Harry just let out a low, almost inaudible sigh, and motioned to Lupin. Lupin began to immediately tell everything he had been told in that private hospital room word by word. As Harry summoned himself a hot cup of tea to warm his hands with, an odd ethereal voice seemed to float across the room to him. Looking around, no one was moving their lips and everyone's attention was on the story being told, but it came again.  
  
'I know what you did to that man, Harry. You've been practicing with your powers of persuasion, haven't you? Don't even bother to try to find out who this is speaking to you. Your strength cannot compare.'  
  
So, feeling too emotionally drained to do anything, he didn't bother to try. Lupin was now finished with the story, and the staff as well as portraits were all looking at him. Dumbledore, of course, spoke first.  
  
"Well, Harry, I wish you had told us sooner. It could have saved you some injury and regret. However, it seems all of us have neglected telling you the nature of what happened to your mother, so you couldn't have known. As far as I can tell, there is no problem."  
  
Snape jumped forward at this. "Headmaster, you cannot be serious! He's drawing blood from students! He's been in the Forbidden Forest feeding! He now is wanting to go spend the holidays with Mr. Malfoy! Surely there are problems to be worked out!"  
  
Harry turned his deadened eyes on Snape with such a fire and unconscious fierceness Snape jumped back into Cal, who was looking at Harry wide eyed. Harry now turned to the old man behind the desk who was now speaking again and felt himself filling with an odd sense of loathing and superiority toward this old manipulator.   
  
"Well, Severus, I'm afraid we only have one problem. Draco has been fully willing to let Harry take blood, and Harry has been aware of his friend's needs with the replenisher. The forest, well, no one goes into the forest at night to discover him, which won't matter now anyways. However," and at this point he turned to Harry,"I do have a problem with you spending the holidays at Draco's manor."  
  
While Harry appeared calm and indifferent in appearance and voice, his eyes glinted as though with lightning, even the white one. He said without a glance,"And why should that be a problem? I'm sure every student here would feel safer without me around. Besides, I would do no harm to the family."  
  
"I'm sure you wouldn't, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, slightly pale upon looking on him. "The problem is that we can't put you out where the Dark Lord could so easily kill you. You will be staying at Hogwarts for the remaining time."  
  
Harry snorted, then responded in a dignified and indifferent manner, as thought waving her response aside,"And what makes you all think you can hold me here against my will?"  
  
"Well," said Dumbledore, with a gentle smile,"we'll start by taking away your wand first off. Then we'll take your Invisibility Cloak and put a sentry at the secret passageway out of your rooms and the Gryffindor entrance."  
  
"Alright then," said Harry. "I'll just get your items for you now, shall I? Accio Invisibility Cloak!" In a minute the cloak came through one of the office's open windows and landed in Harry's hands. Here, Harry sat his wand on top of the cloak and set them on Dumbledore's desk. He started to walk toward the exit, the teachers making a path for him, when he turned around. He said,"Oh yeah. Don't forget to bolt shut my window; I could fly out of there in Animagus form you know. Goodbye, Professors!"  
  
And Harry left the office toward his private chambers, grinning at himself all the while for the ignorance of all who had sat in that room.  
  
He had packed what he needed when he got back to his living quarters, and the bag was stealthily hidden behind a few stacks of towels in the bathroom. He was waiting for the guard to enter his quarters and see that he was still there. 'However,' thought Harry, grinning to himself,'once I do leave for Draco's, they can't set foot there without the Malfoy's consent which I know won't come. It doesn't really matter when I leave.' At this, he fingered the bag of Floo powder Draco had sent, hiding it back into the folds of his robes.  
  
After Professor Cal made sure that he was there and had been back in the corridor for ten minutes, Harry got up from the chair he'd been sitting in. He grabbed his bag with everything he needed for the trip in it (including the brewed potions) and stood in front of his lit fireplace.   
  
"Why they didn't close the Floo network from my fire, I'll never know. Ah well. In this moment, I'm happy for the ignorance of others." And at that, he threw a pinch of the glittering ash into the fireplace, stepped into it, and said,"Draco's Room, Malfoy Manor!"  
  
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He managed to walk out of the fireplace into a lovely room that had to be decorated by Draco. The entire room was done in blues and greys and all the wood furniture a lovely pale oak. All of a sudden, he found himself being jumped on by Draco who yelled,"You made it!" in a very un-Malfoyish way. He immediately summoned a houseelf to take Harry's bag. The muscled little thing had no problem with Harry's bag, and Harry turned back to Draco.  
  
"Come on!" said the excited blonde,"I'll show you your room and around the manor, and you can tell me all that has been going on at school the past few days."  
  
Harry's room was very alike to his rooms at Hogwarts, only it had a lovely bay window with a sitting place and a wonderful view on the lusch Malfoy estate. Draco showed him the rest of the manor inside, and Harry was done with his story by the time Draco was done. The young Malfoy stood staring at him, shocked.  
  
"No doubt this will be the front page of the Daily Prophet tomorrow, you're right," murmured Draco. "And that Weasley called you filth?! I'll kill him! No, seriously, I will!"  
  
"Calm down, Zurui," said Harry, using that name which he knew would calm the boy down. "I've been in the Prophet too many times to care what they say anymore. Can I see the grounds?"  
  
The grounds were truly spectacular, and Harry knew it would have taken him hours to be shown all of it. His favourite part, though, was that they did this all by horseback. Draco had first taken him to the stables and had shown Harry how to put on the horse's tack and how to ride. Harry had ended up mounting a powerful Palamino stallion. Draco told him the horse had never let anyone mount him except Harry, so with a light heart, they rode around the grounds until the sky began getting dark. Putting the horses back in the stables and entrusting their care to a stable elf, they headed inside to change for dinner.  
  
Coming down the stairs and into the dining room, Harry spotted Narcissa Malfoy as she got up from the table and smiled warmly at the two boys. Harry was amazed how pretty she was when she didn't have that haughty look on her face.  
  
"I'm pleased you'll be staying with us for the time being, Harry," said Narcissa. "I've already had inquiries about you from school, but I'll not give them consent to take you away until you get back on the Hogwarts Express! Come, you look pale, why don't you have a bite to eat?"  
  
Harry looked uncomfortably at Draco, who turned to his mother and said,"Harry can't eat anything mother, he's, uhm, he's feeling a bit sick..."  
  
"He ended up being vampiric, didn't he?" she questioned once they all sat down at the table. Harry almost fell off his chair while Draco said,"How did you-"  
  
"Really, Draco," said Narcissa, tutting slightly,"Surely you two have found out about his mother?"  
  
"Yes, I did," said Harry, recovering slightly."She was transformed by that vampire clan's leader, Cicila Sachol. She worked for Voldemort." And it clicked in his head.  
  
"Well, Harry, you know full well that as a Deatheater family, we do have other members over on occasion, sometimes even the Dark Lord himself. But I've met Cicila, very nice woman. After hearing what happened to your mother, I knew you'd at least turn out part vampire."  
  
"I'm supposedly three-quarters. Where is this Cicila Sachol now, anyway?" stated Harry, watching the other two eat.  
  
"We all have no idea. Well, I think the Dark Lord knows, but he won't tell any of us. She's disbanded her clan of vampires and destroyed them all, not trusting a one with her secrets. She was a strong ally and a more powerful being under our master I do not know of. She's rumoured to be just under one thousand years old. Imagine, seeing the turning of eras and times as she has."  
  
Harry went back to his rooms after saying goodnight to Draco, and changed into a simple pair of blue-grey boxers. He pulled back the warm comforter on the bed, and fell asleep dreaming of riding the Palamino throughout the school building, trampling down the fools who underestimated him. He smiled.  
  
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The next day, Harry and Draco went with Narcissa to Diagon Alley to pick up presents for everyone on the Yules. After they found a few things in the main alley, Narcissa took them down Knockturn Alley. The boys found this stretch of odd and eerie shops much more interesting, and Harry told Draco of his incident here before second year which got a loud snort out of Draco.  
  
They split up so they could buy eachother's presents without the other seeing, and when they were done with that, they sat at a little table outside a restaraunt enjoying a lunch, Harry watching the crowd go by and reading from the Daily Prophet. Of course his revealed secret made the front page news, the story made up of the story of Lily and then Harry's revealed news through interviews with the students.  
  
'"I honestly don't think I could feel safe in his company anymore. I mean, if he's been deceiving us about this, what else can he be keeping from us?' said Lavender Brown, a fellow sixth year in Gryffindor."  
  
He had no trouble hearing the entire area around him bustling with the news. However, on Knockturn Alley, it was met with excitement, where he had only heard scared and anxious thoughts in Diagon Alley. The article had used an old picture of him, and no one outside of Hogwarts knew what he looked like now, so he was able to get past a lot of public shows. He was happy for once, watching Narcissa and Draco finishing off their meals.   
  
Draco managed to drag Harry into a pet shop before they left full of (in Harry's opinion) a lot of illegal creatures. Draco had wanted to show him all of the snakes they had here, but Harry said he didn't know if he wanted a snake right now. They left back toward Diagon Alley, and it was Harry's turn to drag Draco into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Using a bit of his supernatural strength, he was able to push Draco and himself through the crowd toward where he spotted Fred, George, and Lee.   
  
The trio of pranksters didn't recognize Harry at first, but when he started speaking, they knew it was him. Fred and George immediately went into an enthusiastic conversation with him which luckily went unnoticed by the crowd. They said that everyone at Grimmauld Place was in an uproar at this news, that Mum had fainted and Dad had to revive her. Harry explained the reason why he had said those things to Ginny.  
  
"Is Mum ever going to wallop Ron!" crowed George. "I mean, you were really protecting Ginny! Oh, Ron'll never hear the end of it! Mum really wants to see you, Harry. Maybe you could drop by on summer hols, or are you going to stay there? I mean you can't exactly go back to the Dursley's, can you?"  
  
"I'll see how everything goes between now and then. Send everyone my hellos, okay?" said Harry, and Draco and Harry left the shop back to Narcissa, and they left the busy little street for the quiet of the manor.  
  
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A/N: Harry is at the Malfoy Manor! Isn't it odd how everyone says "Malfoy Manor" or "Snape Manor"? I don't get it, but whatever. What did ya think? Just sign in and review! What's going to happen next chapter?! Oh god! Don't ask me that! I'm just making this story up as I go pretty much! AH! The anxiety, the pressure!  
  
(October 26-October 27, 2003)  
  
"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." - Mahfouz Naquib   
  
Whoa. Out there, man. Really. 


	17. The Trouble with False Personages

A/N: Back with Chapter 17 yeah! Oh yeah! Go read the first three of my new story, "Family Issues". Quite interesting and the kind of fic I had always been searching for! Check it out!  
  
Chapter 17: The Trouble with False Personages  
  
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Well, if Harry thought he was going to have a quiet time back at the Manor, he surely thought wrong.  
  
When they Flooed in via the Leaky Cauldron, there were houselves running everywhere, dusting, polishing, and generally cleaning everything in sight. Narcissa pulled one the elves off their path and demanded to know what was going on.  
  
"Oh, Tinder is being so sorry, Mistress Malfoy!" chirped the little elf, "While you is gone with Master Draco and Mister Harry, we is receiving notice of unexpected guests! We is cleaning the house immediately and preparing food, Mistress!"  
  
"That will be all, Tinder. Make sure to notify me immediately when the guests get here," said Narcissa offhandedly, and the little elf nodded fervently. Here, it turned its large eyes on the boys and asked,"Is Master Draco or Mister Harry needing anything?"  
  
"No, thank you, Tinder," said Draco. "We're going upstairs to change into something nicer. Also notify us when the guests get here."  
  
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Each changed seperately in their own rooms, though when Harry walked into Draco's rooms, the blonde boy just stared at him in shock.  
  
"Don't you know anything about the theory of matching, Harry?" choked out Draco. When Draco was done 20 minutes later, wearing a grey silk shirt, black silk pants, and an elegant black robe, he pulled Harry into his guest room and pulled out an outfit worthy of a high fashion wizarding store.  
  
"Really, Draco, why so fancy?" called Harry from the bathroom where he was changing again.  
  
Draco sighed and said,"We don't know who's coming, Harry. It could be Fudge or a Deatheater for all we know. Still, its good to look your best for a guest when they're unknown."  
  
"Whatever you say," said Harry, walking out of the bathroom.  
  
He was gorgeous. He was wearing one of his new spider silk shirts in black along with matching black spider silk slacks. Over his shoulders hung a magnificent dark crimson robe with onyx fastenings and a stream of the little stones running down the sides of it, standing out against the red of the robe very nicely.  
  
"Damn, Harry, you just have to show me up, now don't you?" mock-pouted Draco, crossing his arms and grinning at Harry.  
  
"You can thank Remus for this change in wardrobe," grinned Harry, but their conversation was cut short by Tinder running in at that moment, shivering all over.  
  
"T-Tinder is-is here to t-tell you that the gu-guests is here," said the little thing, and it positively fled the room.  
  
"Well," said Draco, putting on his haughty look which he had worn at school for 5 years,"I guess we better go down and greet them, Harry."  
  
Harry nodded and fell into step beside Draco while they made the long descent down to the main floor.  
  
When Harry and Draco entered the room, he was sure he was dreaming. First, Mrs. Malfoy was speaking quite cordially with Professor Snape, who gave a minute smirk in Harry's direction. That was the first problem with this situation. However, the next blew his mind.  
  
Professor Cal sat whispering fervently to a certain Tom Riddle. Upon the boys entering the room, all members of this party looked up, Tom looking directly at Harry with his burning red eyes.   
  
"Hello, Harry."  
  
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"No need to explain yourself, child," said Tom, looking at the astounded boy in front of him. Draco had gone to sit next to his mother and was shifting his eyes between Riddle and the boy-who-hopefully-lives-after-this-encounter.  
  
"What are you talking about?" choked Harry. "You have a need to be explaining yourself, Tom!"  
  
Voldemort laughed his spinechilling laugh at this, the only sign of the man inside of the boy's body. "Well, I was going to spent the holidays with the Malfoy's because of Dumbledore's spies reporting back information of my hideaways and such. I figured it would be much harder for them to track me, however, if I arrived here mostly Muggle-style and in Muggle dress."  
  
At this, he gestured at what he was wearing. The boy was wearing a simple black turtleneck which added greatly to his thin face and features and short black hair, falling in soft, loose waves around his face. A semi loose pair of khakis clung to his thin hips and accented his long legs. This was the Tom Riddle of 50 years ago, still a lithe and goodlooking young man.  
  
"How did you turn back your looks?" asked Harry, touching Tom's cheek as though to test if it were real. The other guests except Cal all seemed shocked that Harry had actually touched the Dark Lord without his permission and was still alive right now!  
  
"It's quite a simple little Glamour charm, Harry, but also a little known one. It allows the user to change his or her looks back to whatever time period they wish in their lives," chortled Tom. "Well, Harry, I must say right now that you have produced a wave of anger and anxiousness around the Hogwarts grounds. Cal tells me that they took away all your means of escape except your concealed bag of Floo powder from young Malfoy here. This incident only proves that Dumbledore is losing his touch if he can't even remember to shut off the Floo network to your fireplace!"  
  
"But wait!" exclaimed Harry, who was now pointing at the strangely emotionless Cal,"Why is Professor Cal even here?! Is he a Deatheater? Is he?" He turned fiery eyes on Cal,"Are you?"  
  
At this the large grandfather clock struck the time, and as Cal spoke, his features were changing. "Yes, Harry, the original Chaos Achilles Lantica was a Deatheater 18 years ago. His ancestor, however, has been one for the last 35 years."  
  
"Harry," said Tom, proud and haughty,"may I introduce to you Cicila Sachol."  
  
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Harry took in the lady sitting now where Professor Cal had been sitting just moments ago. She had very smooth, white skin as though carved from snow and ice, and her deep red hair had endless highlights which caught the light in an unnervingly beautiful way. The robes she had worn as a professor now hung looser on her slight frame. What caught Harry's attention, though, were her eyes which were a deep cobalt colour that were filled with a fierce and ancient sheen.   
  
"Wait a minute," said Draco, interrupting the silence which had permeated the room with this revelation. "Isn't Cicila Sachol the one who turned Harry's mother?"  
  
Harry turned surprised eyes on Draco and looked back at the young woman sitting in front of his standing frame. This was the one that indirectly made him this. This figure that wasn't quite human and not quite vampire.   
  
"I must tell you, Harry," began Cicila in her rich voice, standing to meet Harry in the eyes,"no one expected you to be conceived. After all, vampires cannot procreate. It only happened because you were conceived that night while your mother was still transforming, allowing your genes to be infused with most of her vampiric ones." She stroked his cheek with an icy hand. "A child like you has never been born, a child of the light and the dark."  
  
Harry stumbled into a chair next to Draco and looked between two figures that had changed his life before he could even remember being alive. He looked up at Cicila and asked," Who are you, really?"  
  
She took on an air of power and stated," I am Cicila Sachol, daughter of Salazar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin house, and Phoenix Sachol, daughter of Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw, founders of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw houses, respectably. I have watched the eras of the world pass for just under 1000 years."  
  
"What about Professor Cal?"  
  
"The true Chaos Achilles Lantica did go to school with your parents and did become a Deatheater in the end. However, what many people don't know was that he was an illegitimate child of Lord Voldemort's."  
  
Everyone's eyes turned in shock to the still figure of Tom Riddle, who turned to look at them. "It's true, what my ancestor says. However, he died in one of the last battles at the hands of James Potter which almost knows about. I informed Cicila of the news, as she had already revealed herself and her coven to me, and she came up with the plan. James would face the most heartbreaking betrayal in the form of his wife. Unfortunately, it didn't work.  
  
Then came the prophesy. The rest you already know. You still remember last year, Harry. My desperation in listening to the prophesy."  
  
Harry said in a bitter voice,"Yes, I do remember, and the prophesy didn't say anything more than what we already knew and know will evenutally happen. 'Neither can live while the other survives.'"  
  
"Truly think on that saying and the prophesy, Harry. You will eventually reach a solution in your troubled mind," said Cicila, motioning to Severus who joined her at her side. She took a flask from her side and drank from the potion, her features once again becoming Voldemort's long lost son. She put back on the mask of Cal and said in his perky voice,"Well, we need to be going back to school. Severus needs to work on papers, and I need to get back to that Runespoor of mine. I'll be back for Yules. Don't open presents without me! Bye!"  
  
And with that, they Disapparated for Hogsmeade, leaving Harry with Draco, Narcissa, and Tom.  
  
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The three days before Yules were spent for Harry in the constant company of his friend, and they did not rest from sun up to sun down, spending most of their time out on the snow-covered grounds of the manor. The last day before Yules, Harry and Draco built snow fortresses and ended up having a magnificent snow battle. Eventually, Tom came outside and sent conjured snowballs at each of them, and Harry and Draco joined forces against him. All three ended up walking in together, wet and cold, but laughing all the same. Tom really was nice when his Deatheaters weren't around and it was only the boys and Narcissa, and Harry and Draco were dreading going back to school when they'd lose their new friend.  
  
The next day, Draco and Tom were to be found standing outside under a window to Harry's rooms. Snickering, Tom pulled out his wand, and as Draco egged him on, he opened up the window, and levitated a sleeping Harry in only a pair of boxers out of his third story room. Tom brought the sleeping boy through the air to a large pile of snow, and let him fall. Draco and Tom both fell over laughing as Harry appeared moments later, jumping out of the snow and chasing after them, teeth bared as he spit after them," I'm gonna kill you two for that!"  
  
Draco shouted over his shoulder and said,"Sorry, but I want to open presents!" and Tom added as they ended up in the main living room,"Happy Yules, Harry!"  
  
After Harry went back upstairs to change and came back down again, he sat next to Draco as Narcissa, Cicila, and Tom talked goodnaturedly.  
  
Draco got presents from Harry, Hermione, his various friends through Slytherin, his mother, and Tom. Harry got a his normal package from Mrs.Weasley with a note that voiced wanting to see him soon, a rare Dark Arts tome containing many powerful curses from Draco, and a box of chocolate dragon eggs from Hermione. Lupin's present contained a note which Harry read first.  
  
Dear Harry,   
  
Happy Yules! While I had hoped to see you at school during the break, I know you're spending time with friends. The whole school is in anarchy about your secret and disappearance. It's rather funny seeing McGonagall as disheveled and out of order as the time our friends Snape and Cal filled her entire room with snakes. Quite amusing prank it was. Sad we didn't think it up.  
  
Anyway, here's your present. See if you can spot the fact from the fiction. These books only seem fitting and I remember how much I loved reading them. Hope to see you soon!  
  
  
  
Lupin  
  
Harry laughed as he saw the most recent set of Anne Rice's books setting in his lap.   
  
"Well, Harry," said Tom, standing up and motioning Harry to follow him as he headed outside," It's time for me to give you my present." He gave Harry a small whistle made of ebony. Harry held it up to his lips and blew into the tiny instrument, making an enchanting and unearthly sound come out of it. Then, out of the morning mist, something came up to him and nuzzled his hand.  
  
At first Harry thought he was seeing a thestral. The creature had a skeleton body with long legs and neck, and the bones were covered in a warm, short black hair that felt as though it was made of down feathers. Its ice blue mane felt as though made of water as did its long tail of the same colour.  
  
However, this creature was not a thestral in the sense Harry knew one. While the dragonish face still had its wide, unblinking eyes, they were not the customary white but the same ice blue as the mane and tail. The creature had no wings at all, instead having a slightly upward curving horn on its head, a deep sea blue and rather like a unicorn's.  
  
"Do you like it?" asked Tom, peering happily at Harry as he ran his hand down the creature's lovely horn.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Tom laughed. "Cicila and I had been working on this creature as a project even before my downfall, and we finally managed it during your fifth year. She is the first successful hybrid cross between a thestral and a unicorn. She still carries the thestral's ability to navigate and fly, even if it has no wings. The unciorn's natural magic allows it to be so, and it allows the owner to be able to ride or harness the animal like you would a normal horse. We wanted you to have the first."  
  
Harry stuttered his thanks to both Tom and Cicila, and he and Draco spent all day admiring this awe inspiring creature.  
  
"What are you going to call her?" asked Draco, as the creature ran along in the pastures with the horses.  
  
"I believe I'll call her Morgan."  
  
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A/N: So what did you think? Cicila has revealed herself and so has Tom's fun side. Don't you love Morgan? She came to me in a dream, just a quick flash. In case you're wondering about the name, Morgan is the Celtic Goddess of Water and Magick. Get it? Morgan's mane and tail feel as though made of water?   
  
Read my other story! Just a little reminder!  
  
Next chapter coming soon! Review review review! 


	18. The Trouble with a Stupid Weasley

A/N: I'd like to thank my reviewers, those people who brighten my day. I dedicate this chapter to you!  
  
Chapter 18: The Trouble with a Stupid Weasley  
  
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It was the night after Yules ended, and Harry and Draco were taking their presents and putting them in their rooms. They had spent the entire day out riding in the freshly fallen snow, Draco on a large, dappled gray mare and Harry on Morgan. His steed provided a very smooth ride, as though they weren't on the ground at all, but flying. Of course, Tom was always one for extravagance, so he had made a custom saddle and tack for Morgan as well as (to Harry's surprise) a small chariot. It was quite an impressive thing, light and speedy but durable. Harry and Draco had both gotten in the chariot and had quite a fun time while Morgan towed them through the air with ease. With Tom's help, he shrunk the chariot and tack and packed it into his bag carefully. He was definitely planning on bringing his new familiar with him to school somehow.  
  
For now though, Harry sat in front of his fireplace, gazing thoughtfully into the flames in the grate. He wondered if they would harm him like they would a normal, full-fledged vampire? Of course, he and Draco were still performing their little ritual. Harry was thinking, however. Wouldn't it just be easier to be a complete vampire? He was already drawing blood, already had some of the strength, the persuasive abilities over others, and yet.... it didn't satisfy him. He was tired of taking those metallic potions and couldn't be touched by a mere crucifix like some of the low level vampires in the world. What if he were to become one? How would it affect his schooling? How did Cicila (for she had actively told him to call her by first name when not in her guise) keep from being destroyed by the sun during the days she taught their classes?  
  
This wasn't the only thing on his mind. What had Cicila and Tom meant that first night about the prophecy? 'Neither can live while the other survives' had a big idea to go with what they were saying. What was so important about it? Right then he wished he had his pensieve with him.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
The boy in front of the fire turned around in his armchair to look at the figure at the entryway to his room. It was Tom.  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure, Tom."  
  
As Tom sat in the armchair across from Harry's, Harry realized how odd this scene was. A year ago, he would have committed a person to St.Mungo's for even suggesting he would be sitting down in a room with Lord Voldemort and not be trying to kill him. That was far from the truth now. Tom had become through his letters and the last week a sort of brother figure to Harry, giving him advice or someone to just be able to talk to. Of course, no one at Hogwarts would believe him; everyone just thought he was the evil Lord Voldemort. They would probably never get to know him for what he really was like.  
  
"Boy, holiday cheer wore out of you really quick, child," said Tom, looking at Harry through red eyes with something like concern. "What has you so anxious, if I may ask?"  
  
Another thing Harry liked about Tom. Unlike people and certain staff at school, he gave you the choice of telling things.  
  
"Oh, a lot of things, Tom," he sarted, looking into the fire again with weary eyes. "For one thing, the prophecy and what Cicila told me to consider about it."  
  
Tom nodded in understanding.  
  
"The thing is, I can't figure out what she's trying to make me see in it. I can't solve the problem she has so clearly laid out in front of me."  
  
"Child, it's not a problem she has laid out for you, it is a solution. You've been looking at it too hard."  
  
"Then," said Harry with a sigh," I'm having issues with this whole vampire thing. I mean, if you work out advantages and disadvantages for being what I am and what Cicila is, wouldn't it just be better for me to be a full vampire? I mean, there is the whole bad part about the sun, but somehow she surmounts that problem... how does she do that by the way?"  
  
Tom chuckled, "Witch and wizard vampires have many advantages over Muggle vampires, one being the sun. The magic that resides in them protects them, and they are among the few vampires that can walk the land during day or night. It's rather funny that you would bring up this subject, Harry."  
  
Harry turned tired but curious eyes on Tom, the fire dancing in his emerald eye and milky eye in perfect unison like a well-rehearsed play. "Why is it a funny issue to bring up?"  
  
"Well, it could be a part of the solution to your earlier frustrations regarding the prophesy," said Tom, quite nonchalantly stroking Black Ruby's head as the black raven had flown over to him during the conversation.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Take a moment to think on it."  
  
So Harry did. What did the issue of becoming a full vampire have to do with the prophecy solution? 'Neither can live while the other survives'...  
  
Tom smiled as Harry came out of his ten minute think and began pacing the room, muttering to himself.  
  
"Of course! No one considers a vampire really alive! The prophecy was made without knowledge to any sign of vampires! Technically, the body does go through a type of dying when you become one... 'Neither can live while the other survives' ! Tom and I won't have to finish one or the other off if one of ourselves 'dies' in the sense the prophecy says!" He turned one excited green eye on the young man sitting in front of the fireplace. "Am I right, Tom?"  
  
Tom got up and strode to the door and grinned at Harry. "You are correct. You must get some rest now, however; it's very late. Good night, child."  
  
Harry turned mischievious eyes on Tom. "Why do you call me 'child?'"  
  
Tom said amusedly, "Harry, as old as I am and the fact I could be your grandfather by all rights, you are a child compared to me."  
  
Harry just shook his head as Tom left the room and turned to his bed. He was going to go talk to Cicila tomorrow.  
  
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"Well, Harry, let's get going!"  
  
"Wait up!"  
  
Draco and Harry emerged onto Platform 9¾, laughing and chittering as they found a compartment to themselves and stuck their heads out the window to say their goodbyes to their deliverer.  
  
"Bye, Tom!"  
  
"See you later!"  
  
The man with a face hidden by a cloak turned red eyes on them full of mirth. "What, you don't think I can visit you guys in school?"  
  
"Now, Tom!" said Harry, in a mocking authority voice,"Do you really want to ruin your reputation in the wizarding world as one evil badarse?"  
  
Tom threw his hands up in frustration and replied,"No, I really don't want to, but-"  
  
Draco laughed and said,"Don't worry! We'll send you lots of letters! After all, we'll have to let you know who is stupid enough to insult or embarass us! Have to know who to put on the weekly hit list!"  
  
Harry said,"Never thought there's be an upside to being friends with Voldemort, did you, Draco?"  
  
"Hey, I'm right here, you know!"  
  
Just then the train started pulling out of the station. Tom managed to get out,"See you soon!" and the train was gone.  
  
"Well," said Draco, as the two boys settled back into their little compartment,"Back to school we go."  
  
Harry hit himself in the head. "Goody, Draco. I get to deal with everyone staring and pointing and trying to ward me off with crosses and garlic. Fun."  
  
"You forgot Weasley is going to try and kick your arse the minute you set foot in school. Besides, you should be used to all the staring and pointing, mate. You've dealt with it since day one."  
  
Draco could only laugh as his friend hit himself in the head again.  
  
Part of the way back, they talked about the Sect of Angels and what to do with it. After all, they hadn't added anyone to their ranks and it was currently just sitting there collecting dust. Harry said he had an idea for it but wouldn't tell Draco just yet.  
  
No one bothered Harry through the trip, but a few Slytherins dropped by for a few minutes to talk to Draco, including fellow sixth year Pansy Parkinson, fifth year Obsidian Trentworth, and the mysterious Blaise Zabini.  
  
"Is Blaise a boy or girl, Draco?" Harry questioned after the subject in question left.  
  
Draco shook his head and said,"Honestly, I have no clue. The entire Slytherin house has been trying to figure that one out for five years. Doesn't sleep in either the girl or boy dormitories. I have no idea what Blaise gets up to."  
  
Eventually, they pulled into Hogsmeade station, the cool Friday evening breeze promising a chilly weekend. Draco and Harry climbed into the last carriage and were followed in by Blaise and Obsidian, finally heading off toward the school, Harry wondering if the two sitting across from him would be there if they knew what he truly was. 'Well, no matter. They'll know the instant we step into that school anyways.'  
  
Draco and Harry barely made it into the Entrance Hall before Harry was tackled by two someones; of course, his supernatural strength would have held him up if he had been expecting it, but he hadn't. He was tackled to the ground while Draco stood laughing.  
  
"Very funny, Draco, hardy har har," said Harry as he pulled up the two who tackled him as though they were nothing. He found himself face to face with Ginny and Hermione.  
  
"Hi guys, I-"  
  
Hermione interrupted, looking hurriedly around," No time, Harry! We care to warn you-"  
  
"POTTER!"  
  
"-about Ron," finished Ginny. "He really got a walloping from Mum. He's super pissed that she chose you over him in defending. I'd watch yourself. Here he comes!"  
  
"And here comes the man of the hour,"sneered Draco as Ron came over, face as red as hair. Everyone who had gotten off the carriages had stuck around the hall, not bothering to go into dinner; there was going to be a fight, and damned if they were going to miss it! Harry never noticed the few people leaving dinner running back in to tell everyone.  
  
"Ginny, get away from Potter and his Slytherin croney!" commanded Ron. "I'm going to make him hurt!"  
  
"Screw you, Ron! I'm sticking with Harry, and so is Hermione!" yelled Ginny, and the two girls moved to Harry's other side while Draco smirked.  
  
"What are you going to do, Weasley? I doubt you could even give Harry here a bruise!"  
  
"I'll do this!" snarled Ron, and before Harry could make a retort, Ron was pressing something metal to his face. The crowd gathered was muttering, and Ron was looking in horror between Draco and Harry. The few teachers that were currently in the castle were trying to get through, but the crowd wouldn't let them.  
  
"What's he got on me, Draco?" asked Harry, quite ignoring Ron's face while smirking.  
  
"Well, Harry, I think he was trying to burn you with a crucifix. Stupid Weasley!" chuckled Draco.  
  
Ron was now backing away, but the crowd wouldn't let him escape. Harry was smoothly walking towards him at the same pace he was retreating with.  
  
"Now, _Weasley_ , if we're going to resort to surnames, why did you do that?" asked a calm Harry, one good eye dancing in glee.  
  
"B-But in y-your story, i-it hurt you, a-and," stammered Ron.  
  
It seemed now the entire school was in the Entrance Hall, and as Harry listened to the gasps going around the crowd, he guessed newcomers were finding out his exposed secret.  
  
"Silly, silly Weasley," said Harry, shaking his head. Then, moving so fast no one could see, he seemed to appear again with a fistful of Ron's robes in hand, having pulled Ron to a standing position. He was about to have fun.  
  
"How'd you do that? The cross and just now?" asked Ron, terror in those blue eyes of his.  
  
Harry chuckled,"Well, Ron, if you remembered the part about the cross burning me over the summer, surely you'll remember one Cicila Sachol?"  
  
"Yes, I do. She was the clan leader, the one that turned your mum-"  
  
"Exactly," said Harry. "Well, surprise of surprises, I met up with her over the holidays. Her present for me was one even your little mind should be able to guess." Harry smiled wickedly, purposely smiling toothily. The crowd around them and behind Ron backed away.  
  
"She turned you..."  
  
"Correct, Weasley. I shall not be affected by a crucifix like vampires of old. Now, if you will kindly leave my friends and I, they would like to get to dinner." Harry turned back and started walking toward his group of supporters when Ron pulled out his wand and hit Harry square in the back with a Body Bind spell. To Ron's unfortunate luck, it seemed to have no effect on Harry.  
  
"Bad move, Weasley," proclaimed Harry, and he took the wand Draco offered him. Before anyone knew what Harry had done or said, hundreds of spiders came pouring out from nowhere and were surrounding a shrieking Ron, eventually completely covering the redhead. Harry handed Draco his wand back and escorted the group of Draco, Hermione, and Ginny into the Great Hall.  
  
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A/N: Hehe, stupid Weasley! Ron has been getting on everyone's nerves and has been a complete arse, huh? Well, he just got some of what's coming to him. Now the entire school knows about Harry and the fact he's now a fledgling vampire! Yeah! If anyone wants to read any good books about vampires, can't go wrong with Anne Rice's vampire chronicles.   
  
This shall end the first part of this fan fiction, and it will be put on a hiatus. My other story "Family Issues" and school ad just general life has been taking so much time, I honeslty don't have time for this story right now. Besides, as much as I absolutely love vampires, my other story is much better in my eyes and is the one I really adore. So, until then, space cowboy...  
  
Thanks to the recent reviewers who have stuck with this story indefinitely. 


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